PATHOLOGY GROUP IN SALT LAKE CITY BECOMES PSA MEMBER
UTAH IS THE NEWEST STATE to have a pathology group practice become part of Pathology Service Associates, LLC (PSA).
Based in Salt Lake City, Utah Pathology Services, Inc. is the first PSA-affiliated practice in that state. Utah Pathology Services has 14 pathologists and serves three hospitals in the Central Urban Region of Intermountain Healthcare, the state’s largest integrated delivery network.
Utah Pathology Services will use its affiliation with PSA to beef up its sales and marketing. It is recognized nationally for its pathology expertise in the fields of urology, dermatology, gastroenterology, and gynecology. Its goal is to expand specimen referrals from office-based physicians. It will also utilized PSA services in billing and other management areas.
CHARLOTTE, NC BEGINS COMMUNITY BLOOD BANK TO SERVE 1O HOSPITALS
DISSATISFACTION WITH BLOOD BANKING services offered by the American Red Cross encouraged hospitals in Charlotte, North Carolina to partner in developing their own blood bank.
In recent months, the Community Blood Center of the Carolinas (CBCC) began full operations. It serves 11 North Carolina counties, three South Carolina counties and provides full blood banking services to ten hospitals representing more than 6,000 licensed beds.
Laboratory administrators and pathologists from Carolinas HealthCare System, Gaston Memorial Hospital, NorthEast Medical Center, Piedmont Medical Center, and Presbyterian Healthcare were involved in planning and implementing this project.
Organizational efforts turned serious in 2001. The following year, the North Carolina Hospital Association sponsored a state meeting. Representatives from 50 North Carolina hospitals met to explore alternatives for blood suppliers other than the American Red Cross.
One conclusion from this meeting was that a statewide effort would be an ambitious undertaking. The decision was made to first develop a regional blood supply resource. The partner hospitals of CBCC engaged the help of Astraea, Inc., the parent company of Virginia Blood Services in Richmond, Virginia to do a feasibility study. CBCC opened using the Virginia Blood Center’s FDA blood license.
CAROLINAS HEALTHCARE OPTS FOR TRIPATH’S LIQUID PREP & SCREENING
ALONG WITH A NEW COMMUNITY BLOOD BANK, there’s another change under way in Charlotte, North Carolina. One of the nation’s largest healthcare systems is converting its thin-layer Pap smear technology.
Carolinas HealthCare has completed its switchover to TriPath Imaging, Inc.’s automated liquid preparation and automated screening products for cervical cancer screening. Carolinas HealthCare is a health system with 15 hospitals and 4,410 licensed beds and operates a successful laboratory outreach testing program.
