By Robert Michel, from the Volume XXV No. 5 – March 26, 2018 issue
On March 6, one of the lab industry’s long-serving executives and consultants, Jack Mattice, PhD, of Vancouver, Wash., died from flu complications. He was 77 years old. Mattice earned a PhD in medical microbiology from University of Oregon. Within a few years, he was handling market development for United Medical Laboratories (UML), of Portland, Ore. UML reached
By Robert Michel, from the Volume XXV, No. 1 – January 2, 2018 issue
In Arizona, individuals and patients who paid for clinical laboratory tests performed by Theranos, Inc., are finally getting refunds. These payments are a result of a settlement between the Arizona Attorney General and Theranos. News accounts indicate that, over the time in 2013 through 2016 that Theranos offered lab tests in Arizona through its relationship with
By Mary Van Doren, from the Volume XXIV, No. 7 – May 15, 2017 issue
This is an excerpt from an 850-word article in the May 15, 2017, issue of THE DARK REPORT. The complete article is available for a limited time to all readers, and available at all times to paid members of the Dark Intelligence Group.
CEO SUMMARY: There are few places and times where a broad cross-section of
By Robert Michel, from the Volume XXIV, No. 12 – August 28, 2017 issue
Genetic testing for dogs is the goal of Embark Veterinary, of Boston, Mass. Founded in 2015, the company just raised $4.5 million from investors, including Anne Wojcicki, founder of 23andMe. Company executives say the genetic testing will help vets, pet owners, and breeders identify the disease risk of the dogs, as well as the animals’
By Robert Michel, from the Volume XXIV, No. 9 – June 26, 2017 issue
CEO SUMMARY: News that Quest Diagnostics had exited the long-running CompuNet Clinical Laboratory joint venture in Dayton, Ohio, caught many observers by surprise. The only clues as to possible problems and the motivation of Premier Health, the 51% owner, to buy out Quest’s ownership share are contained in an announcement the health system issued. The
By Joseph Burns, from the Volume XXIV, No. 8 – June 5, 2017 issue
CEO SUMMARY: By now, there is widespread recognition among pathologists and clinical lab managers that the era of fee-for-service reimbursement is giving way to new forms of payment that reward value. First-mover lab leaders are in the earliest stages of developing enhanced lab testing services that contribute to improved patient outcomes while reducing costs. These
By Joseph Burns, from the Volume XXIV, No. 7 – May 15, 2017 issue
CEO SUMMARY: Moving away from volume-based care will not be easy for clinical labs. After all, high volume sustains labs. But labs seeking to transition away from fee-for-service to value-based care must have a seat at the table where decisions are made, said a lab CEO who is part of Project Santa Fe, which wants
By Robert Michel, from the Volume XXIV, No. 7 – May 15, 2017 issue
CEO SUMMARY: Among the major themes to emerge from the more than 60 sessions and 100 speakers at this year’s Executive War College on Lab and Pathology Management were the accelerating pace of integrated care, the growth of precision medicine, and use of big data to guide physicians. Other issues centered on labs’ need to
By Robert Michel, from the Volume XXIV, No. 2 – January 30, 2017 issue
CEO SUMMARY: It is generally recognized that the clinical lab industry faces a financial squeeze of unprecedented dimensions. Lab test prices are falling steadily and more major cuts are coming to Medicare Part B fees in just 11 months. At the same time, obtaining favorable coverage and reimbursement decisions from payers is becoming tougher. This
By Robert Michel, from the Volume XXIII, No. 16 - November 28, 2016 issue
In recent weeks, two different lab transactions were announced. One involved a hospital laboratory management contract and the other was a potential merger of two anatomic pathology lab companies. The first announcement came on October 31, when Lovelace Health System of Albuquerque, New Mexico, released news that it entered into an “inpatient and outpatient laboratory
