By Joseph Burns, from the Volume XX No. 6 - May, 6, 2013 issue
CEO SUMMARY: Standardization of bar code labels is a concept whose time has come. After implementing CLSI standard AUTO12-A, first-mover clinical labs report fewer specimen identification errors, a reduction of costs associated with specimen handling errors, and a boost in lab productivity. Moreover, accrediting bodies such as The Joint Commission and the College of American
By Robert Michel, from the Volume XVI No. 2 - February 2, 2009 issue
LAST MONTH, THE LABORATORY INDUSTRY lost one its most dedicated, full-time advocates. With his retirement in January, Joe Boone, Ph.D., ended a 31-year career with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Boone started with the CDC in 1977. In 1992, he assumed his present position as Associate Director for Science, Division of Laboratory Systems
By Robert Michel, from the Volume XV No. 11 - August 18, 2008 issue
CEO SUMMARY: Laboratories, hospitals, and other health-care providers in the United States will increasingly be required to adopt quality management systems (QMS) as part of their regular operational routine. This is consistent with trends in other developed countries. Several U.S. laboratories are in the process of gaining accreditation under “ISO:1519 Medical Laboratories.” These developments will
By Robert Michel, from the Volume XIV No. 15 - October 29, 2007 issue
CEO SUMMARY: Volunteers for the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) are in the midst of an 18-month project to help five state-run medical labs in Tanzania gain ISO 15189 accreditation. The project shows how labs in Africa and other countries are moving to adopt international accreditation standards. A growing number of countries, including Australia, Germany, France, and Canada,
CEO SUMMARY: As part of a major restructuring program under way at Christian Hospital in St. Louis, Laboratory Administrator Bette J. Stanley decided to apply Lean quality management methods in projects to improve work processes in phlebotomy and the chemistry department. Using internal quality consultants from the parent health system, the laboratory staff applied Lean
By Robert Michel, from the Volume XI No. 14 - October 11, 2004 issue
One reason why certain health plans are posting better numbers in several key clinical quality measures are “Pay for Performance” plans that reward providers with better outcomes, according to a just-released report by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), based in Washington, DC. For example, NCQA data indicates that, among health plans which publicize
