Clinical Labs Spending Money in New Ways

By Robert Michel | From the Volume XXI No. 4 – March 17, 2014 Issue

CEO SUMMARY: In response to the many changes now unfolding in the U.S. healthcare system, labs are investing their scarce capital in different ways. Five trends in lab spending can be identified. They range from expanding the informatics capabilities of a lab organization to acquiring the…

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January 13, 2014 “Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News”

By Robert Michel | From the Volume XXI No. 1 – January 13, 2014 Issue

Currently there are 119 operational health information exchanges (HIEs) in the United States. This number is 58% greater than the 75 HIEs that were operational in 2010. These numbers were reported in Health Affairs. The study was authored by researchers at the University of Michigan. Th…

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Lab’s Patient-Centric Approach Collects Overdue Money in PSCs

By Joseph Burns | From the Volume XX, No. 16 – December 2, 2013 Issue

CEO SUMMARY: At Sonora Quest Laboratories (SQL), the ‘Voice of the Customer’ is guiding the organization’s evolution from physician-centric to patient-centric. It was quickly recognized that an effective enterprise master patient index (EMPI) was essential. One patient-centric servi…

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Most Colorado Labs Now Connected to State’s HIE

By Robert Michel | From the Volume XX No. 15 – November 11, 2013 Issue

CEO SUMMARY: One trend getting little publicity is that of health information exchanges (HIEs). Since its founding in 2009, the Colorado Regional Health Information Organization (CORHIO) has grown steadily. Today, most of the state’s independent lab companies and hospital laboratories a…

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Laboratory Offers Early Lessons in Positioning for Success with ACOs

By Joseph Burns | From the Volume XX No. 10 – July 29, 2013 Issue

CEO SUMMARY: Accountable care organizations (ACOs) are already leading the shift from fee-for-service reimbursement to population payment. ACOs are leading healthcare’s evolution to preventive care, wellness, and better management of patients with chronic disease. This evolution will re…

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Memorial Hermann’s Health Info Exchange Helps Lab Outreach

By Joseph Burns | From the Volume XIX No. 16 – November 19, 2012 Issue

CEO SUMMARY: In Houston, Memorial Hermann Healthcare System has put together a health information exchange (HIE) to serve the Houston market. By design, this HIE not only gives physicians immediate access to a wide variety of patient data, but also supports the type of workflow required f…

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Louisiana Pathologists ‘Moonlight’ as Consultants

By Joseph Burns | From the Volume XIX No. 15 – October 29, 2012 Issue

CEO SUMMARY: Few independent pathology groups have developed robust laboratory consulting businesses. But adopting that strategy has brought important benefits to Delta Pathology Group, LLC, of Shreveport, Louisiana. Not only has providing lab consulting services to cash-strapped hospital…

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Top 10 IT Trends Send Message For Labs & Pathology Groups

By Robert Michel | From the Volume XIX No. 6 – April 23, 2012 Issue

CEO SUMMARY: Healthcare’s shift away from fee-for-service medicine and toward integrated clinical care is widely recognized. However, few lab administrators and pathologists are aware of the even faster transformation underway in healthcare informatics. Presented here are the “Top 10 …

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Hospital Lab Uses HIE To Win Outreach Clients

By Robert Michel | From the Volume XVIII No. 14 – October 17, 2011 Issue

CEO SUMMARY: Health information exchanges (HIEs) are operating nationwide, but few handle lab test orders and results with ease the way HealthBridge does. This long-established HIE in Cincinnati, Ohio, allows physicians to send lab test orders from their electronic health record …

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Georgia HIE Helps all Labs Feed Test Data to Docs

By Robert Michel | From the Volume XVIII No. 12 – September 6, 2011 Issue

CEO SUMMARY: In Macon, Georgia, an innovative effort by a regional extension center and a health information exchange (HIE) will level the playing field for hospital labs and independent labs in the state. Their goal is to build a secure and flexible clinical integration platform…

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