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Pathology Testing Prices as a Commodity: Australia’s Health System Stands at a CrossroadsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Increased Test Volumes in Recent Years Trigger an Important Review of Coverage and Funding for Pathology Testing Services DATELINE: MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA—Pathology testing is under the gun in Australia. Fast-rising utilization of pathology testing over the past decade has caught the attention of health system policy makers. They are concerned about the funding and clinical service implications [...] (Source: Dark Daily)
Source: Dark Daily - November 18, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: Justin Clark Tags: Laboratory Management and Operations Laboratory Pathology AACB Australasian Association of Clinical Biochemists Australasian Meetings clinical laboratory genetic testing Graeme Suthers MD Jane Hall Ken Worth laboratory pricing Lean Source Type: info

Map of Medicine Uses Evidence-Based Medicine to Help PhysiciansEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Provides doctors with fast access to care pathways and diagnostic rules Most pathologists and laboratory professionals in the United States are unaware of a unique clinical resource called the “Map of Medicine”. This was started in the United Kingdom and utilizes evidence-based medicine (EBM) guidelines in the care pathways it makes available to clinicians who visit [...] (Source: Dark Daily)
Source: Dark Daily - November 16, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: jude Tags: Laboratory News Laboratory Pathology clinical care pathways clinical laboratory managers clinical news Clinical Pathology News Dark Daily EBM Evidence-based Medicine Hearst Corporation Informa plc laboratory testing Map of Medicine Source Type: info

Nation’s List of Top Ten Largest Healthcare Systems Include Some SurprisesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Rankings based on annual revenue and the Veterans’ Administration tops the list When Dark Daily recently published a list of the Top Ten Largest Medical Groups in the United States, not only was it a popular topic, but many readers asked us to present a similar list for healthcare systems. Dark Daily is glad to oblige [...] (Source: Dark Daily)
Source: Dark Daily - November 13, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: jude Tags: Laboratory News Laboratory Pathology 10 top revenue hospitals Ascension Health Catholic Health Initiatives Catholic Healthcare West Community Health Systems dark report news darkdaily news for-profit healthcare system hopitals top 10 Source Type: info

Gunman Enters Clinical Laboratory in Oregon Yesterday, Two Dead, Two InjuredEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Man kills his estranged wife, then himself after shooting his way into the laboratory Yesterday, in Tualatin, a quiet suburb city near Portland, Oregon, a gunman entered a laboratory facility owned by Legacy MetroLab and shot his estranged wife. He then killed himself. Two other individuals in the laboratory were injured, including a man admitted to [...] (Source: Dark Daily)
Source: Dark Daily - November 11, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: jude Tags: Laboratory Management and Operations Laboratory News Laboratory Pathology clinical laboratory clinical laboratory managers Dark Daily dark daily breaking news gunman Legacy Health Legacy Laboratory Services Legacy MetroLab pathologis Source Type: info

Succession Planning Omission Will Dearly Cost Many Clinical Labs and Pathology GroupsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Your lab’s oldest Baby Boomer managers are turning 62 and thinking about retirement! There’s a ticking clock in your lab: the fast-approaching retirement of your best section managers, department heads, senior administrators, and pathologists! Yet there is still time for your lab or pathology group to address important succession planning opportunities. “Every day, about 8,760 Baby Boomers [...] (Source: Dark Daily)
Source: Dark Daily - November 10, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: jude Tags: Laboratory News Laboratory Pathology audio recordings on lab succession boomers cause lab staff shortage boomers retire from labs Dark Daily Audio Conference Dark Report Dark Report Audio dark report audio conference Jeff Smith jeff sm Source Type: info

MountainStar–PAML Lab Joint Venture Doubles in Size in 24 MonthsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Hospital/commercial lab JV finds success in competitive Salt Lake City market DATELINE: SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH—Since its formation less than two years ago, MountainStar Clinical Laboratories, LLC, has more than doubled in size. This unique laboratory outreach joint venture is a partnership between MountainStar Healthcare and Pathology Associates Medical Laboratories (PAML). To learn more about this fast-growing [...] (Source: Dark Daily)
Source: Dark Daily - November 9, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: jude Tags: Laboratory Management and Operations Laboratory Pathology clinical laboratory clinical laboratory managers Dark Daily dark daily news Dark Report darkdaily David Brown hospital laboratory outreach program Intermountain Health lab tes Source Type: info

Teaching “Best Practices” in Pathology Group Practice ManagementEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Essential to protect pathology reimbursement with skilled management Despite a slow economy, new technology continues to flood into anatomic pathology. These two contradictory forces make it essential for pathologist business leaders and their practice administrators to respond appropriately to preserve reimbursement and maximize the compensation of pathologists in the group. Dollars are not flowing to labs as [...] (Source: Dark Daily)
Source: Dark Daily - November 6, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: jude Tags: Digital Pathology Laboratory News Laboratory Pathology #bootcamp #revenuecycle American Pathology Foundation APF Clinical Pathology News darkdaily dashboard flash report HistoPath HistoPathCC Lance Beard Lean Pathology Associ Source Type: info

Ranking the Nation’s 20 Largest Doctor Groups Reveals SurprisesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Nine of the 10 largest medical groups are located on the East and West coasts When it comes to the list of the 20 largest physicians groups in the United States, Kaiser Permanente is at the top. With 7,000 physicians, Permanente Medical Group in Northern California is the nation’s largest. Number two is Southern California Permanente [...] (Source: Dark Daily)
Source: Dark Daily - November 4, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: jude Tags: Laboratory News Laboratory Pathology coordinated care dark report news darkdaily news darkreport news doctor integrated care Lab News large practice largest med groups largest medical groups in us Medical Group Management Associati Source Type: info

James Peter, M.D., Ph.D., Founder of Specialty Laboratories, Dies of CancerEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Peter Built His Company into a Major National Esoteric Laboratory One of laboratory medicine’s most successful scientist-entrepreneurs died last Friday, October 30, 2009. James B. Peter M.D., Ph.D., Founder of Specialty Laboratories, Inc., died in his home in Santa Monica, California of complications from cancer. He was 76 years old. A native of Omaha, Nebraska, it was [...] (Source: Dark Daily)
Source: Dark Daily - November 3, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: Justin Clark Tags: Laboratory Management and Operations Laboratory News Laboratory Pathology Source Type: info

Laboratory Transforms Manual Urinalysis with Automation and MoreEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Pre-analytical products, automated systems, and Lean Six Sigma combined to improve outcomes In today’s era of automation and Lean Six Sigma processes in laboratory medicine, the manual urinalysis test may be ready for a major makeover. Such a development would be welcome because, in the typical American hospital, the clinical laboratory performs an average of 120 [...] (Source: Dark Daily)
Source: Dark Daily - November 2, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: jude Tags: Instruments & Equipment Laboratory News Laboratory Pathology analytical automated urinalysis BD becton dickinson and company clinical laboratory closed collection system Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center iQ200 Iris labtestsonline n Source Type: info

Errors Outside the Clinical Laboratory Can Lead to Fatal Consequences for PatientsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Guest Commentary by: Mark Graban Clinical laboratory professionals and leaders should be reminded that their accountability for quality and patient safety does not end at the instrument or the microscope—at least from the general public’s perception and the needs of patients. This summer, I was walking through Boston Common and saw a woman with a homemade sign [...] (Source: Dark Daily)
Source: Dark Daily - October 30, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: jude Tags: Laboratory News Laboratory Pathology clinical lab news clinical laboratory clinical news Dark Daily Dark Report darkdaily error prevention in the lab errors in clin labs errors in clinical laboratories lab errors lab process errors Source Type: info

PAML Has New Owner as Catholic Health Initiatives Buys a StakeEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Deal with Providence Health gives PAML access to 78 CHI hospitals in 20 states Yesterday it was announced that Pathology Associates Medical Laboratories (PAML) of Spokane, Washington, has a new equity partner. In a joint release, Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) and Providence Health & Services acknowledged a “definitive agreement in which CHI will assume a 25% [...] (Source: Dark Daily)
Source: Dark Daily - October 28, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: jude Tags: Laboratory News Laboratory Pathology Catholic Health Initiatives CHI clinical lab news clinical lab testing hospital laboratory lab outreach testing laboratory joint venture laboratory testing Noel Maring PAML Pathology Associates Source Type: info

Meet the Nation’s Top 10 Healthcare Systems for QualityEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Advanced use of EHRs is one characteristic of nation’s quality leaders It’s a new study and ranking of top-performing health systems that Dark Daily readers will find interesting and useful. Thomson Reuters announced its latest Top 10 rankings, and identified three main ingredients for attaining higher-quality outcomes. They were: 1) a corporate-level coordinating committee; 2) ample [...] (Source: Dark Daily)
Source: Dark Daily - October 26, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: Justin Clark Tags: Laboratory News Laboratory Pathology Source Type: info

Clinical Labs Make Money by Using Revenue Cycle ManagementEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Management Tool Contributes to More Collected Revenue, Higher Sales Prices Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) is hitting the radar screen at the nation’s best-managed clinical laboratories. That’s because shrinking reimbursement makes it imperative for clinical labs and pathology groups to collect every dollar legally due for the lab testing services they provide. RCM is a proven management [...] (Source: Dark Daily)
Source: Dark Daily - October 23, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: Justin Clark Tags: Laboratory Management and Operations Laboratory News ceo valuation ceo’s guide to increasing laboratory valuation Clinical Laboratory Billing clinical laboratory manager clinical white paper Dark Daily elements driving lab valuation he Source Type: info

HITECH ACT Mandates New Patient Privacy Requirements on Labs and Pathology GroupsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Labs Must Report Privacy Breaches of 500 or More to the Media Call it HITECH collides with HIPAA! Most pathologists and lab executives know that passage of the HITECH Act was the part of 2009’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (also referred to as “ARRA” or the “stimulus bill”). HITECH provides incentives for the expanded [...] (Source: Dark Daily)
Source: Dark Daily - October 22, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: Justin Clark Tags: Laboratory News Source Type: info

Laboratory Test and New Sepsis Alert System at Methodist North Hospital Saves Lives, Reduces CostsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
New diagnostic protocols that use lactic acid test cut deaths from sepsis Laboratory testing plays a key role in a new diagnostic protocol for sepsis that is saving lives at hospitals operated by Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare in Tennessee. Since implementation of this new sepsis protocol, patient outcomes have improved significantly. Leadership at Methodist North Hospital (MNH) [...] (Source: Dark Daily)
Source: Dark Daily - October 20, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: jude Tags: Laboratory News Laboratory Pathology best practice Cerner clinical laboratory electronic medical record Emergency Center Emmanuel Rivers MD EMR Hospital Karen Hopper MD laboratory test lactic acid Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare Source Type: info

Hematology on a Chip: University of Southampton Develops POC Blood AnalysisEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In conjunction with Phillips Research, a team from the University of Southampton is looking to revolutionize blood analysis Point-of-care blood cell analysis in doctor’s offices could soon be much faster and more convenient. In conjunction with Philips Research, a team of researchers at England’s University of Southampton is developing a miniaturized cell analysis device with [...] (Source: Dark Daily)
Source: Dark Daily - October 19, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: jude Tags: Digital Pathology Laboratory Pathology Management & Operations Source Type: info

FDA Panel to Consider Digital Pathology and Whole Slide ImagingEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Are digital whole slide imaging systems ready to replace conventional light microscopy for diagnostic surgical pathology? Next week, an FDA committee will consider whether to allow pathologists to use digital pathology systems for primary diagnosis. Even if the committee does not make a positive recommendation, the timing demonstrates the swift progress in the quality of digital [...] (Source: Dark Daily)
Source: Dark Daily - October 16, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: Justin Clark Tags: Instruments & Equipment Laboratory Pathology Source Type: info

Sonic’s Diagnostic Medlab Signs New Contract with Auckland Health BoardsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Dark Daily Commentary: Treat lab testing as a commodity and risk disrupting the entire healthcare system Once again, the pathology profession is seeing the consequences of the “penny wise-pound foolish” philosophy relentlessly pursued by government health bureaucrats. This time it involves the Auckland District Health Boards in New Zealand. Having signed a cut-rate, back room deal [...] (Source: Dark Daily)
Source: Dark Daily - October 14, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: jude Tags: Laboratory Management and Operations Laboratory News Laboratory Pathology Auckland Dark Daily Diagnostic Medlab District Health Board errors Healthscope SYD:HSP lab testing in new Zealand laboratory test Labtests new Zealand health Source Type: info

Healthcare Reform in the United States May Actually Increase Medical TourismEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
More medical tourists may also contribute to further globalization of lab testing Medical tourism continues to be a force with the potential to exert significant influence on healthcare in the United States. For that reason, experts have weighed in recently on how efforts to reform healthcare may either inhibit or encourage growth in the number of [...] (Source: Dark Daily)
Source: Dark Daily - October 12, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: Justin Clark Tags: Laboratory News Laboratory Pathology clinical laboratory managers CNN medical tourism CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta Dark Daily Economic Development Health Reform healthcare reform influence on healthcare Laboratory Alliance laboratory tes Source Type: info

Genetic Test for Celiac Disease Is Marketed Directly to Consumers Via InternetEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Prometheus Laboratories targets millions of individuals with undiagnosed celiac disease Direct-to-consumer (DTC) testing for celiac disease is now a reality. One company is now marketing a saliva-based genetic test that allows a patient to request, administer, and check the results of the test without leaving his or her home! The market for this test is substantial. According [...] (Source: Dark Daily)
Source: Dark Daily - October 9, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: jude Tags: Laboratory News Laboratory Pathology celiac disease celiac disease test clinical laboratories diagnostic test direct to consumer marketing DQA1 DQB1 genetic test gluten HLA Internet marketing Kathy Davy My Celiac ID Prometheu Source Type: info

Magnetic Biomarker Chip Spots Cancer Before It DevelopsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Up to 400 times more sensitive than existing ELISA-based methods Detecting any of seven cancers in their earliest stages may be feasible through the use of a new biomarker chip that was recently unveiled by scientists from Stanford University’s Center for Magnetic Nanotechnology. To give their biomarker chip increased sensitivity over fluorescent detection methods, the scientists [...] (Source: Dark Daily)
Source: Dark Daily - October 5, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: Justin Clark Tags: Laboratory News Laboratory Pathology antibodies biomarker biomedical cancer cardiovascular Center for Magnetic Nanotechnology diagnosis diagnostic DNA ELISA engineer MagArray medical research nanoparticle nanoscience path Source Type: info

Canadian Lab Leaders Gather in Toronto to Tackle Tough IssuesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Executive Edge conference tackles the good, the bad, and the ugly of lab testing DATELINE: TORONTO, CANADA—Yesterday and today, an impressive cross section of leaders in clinical lab testing, histopathology, and other health specialties in Canada came together. Their goal was to discuss and debate the future of laboratory testing services in Canada at the 4th [...] (Source: Dark Daily)
Source: Dark Daily - October 2, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: jude Tags: Laboratory Pathology News From Dark Daily accuracy of breast cancer testing André Picard Breast Cancer Research breast cancer testing problems Breast Cancer Tests canada breast cancer Canada histopathology Canada’s biggest laboratory Source Type: info

Lab Industry’s Quality Gurus Gather and Share Best PracticesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Growing interest in Quality Management Systems (QMS) surfaces at Lab Quality Confab DATELINE: ATLANTA, GA—From nine countries around the world, several hundred clinical laboratory and pathology quality experts gathered in Atlanta this week for the third annual Lab Quality Confab. Dominating the sessions are impressive success stories from laboratories using Lean, Six Sigma, and similar quality [...] (Source: Dark Daily)
Source: Dark Daily - October 1, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: jude Tags: Laboratory News Laboratory Pathology News From Dark Daily anatomic pathology clinical laboratory clinical laboratory accreditation DNV Healthcare iso 15189 ISO 9001 Joseph Skrisson Lab QUality Confab lab quality guidlines Lab Quali Source Type: info

Joint Commission Changes Requirement for Patient ID during Blood DrawsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Center for Phlebotomy Education says new requirement is step backward for patient safety When The Joint Commission recently changed the patient identification requirement for drawing a blood sample, one national phlebotomy leader considered it a step backward in patient safety. “Per a revised policy issued by The Joint Commission, it is no longer required for the phlebotomist [...] (Source: Dark Daily)
Source: Dark Daily - September 30, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: jude Tags: Laboratory News Laboratory Pathology blood sample Center for Phlebotomy Education Dennis Ernst draw blood JC MT(ASCP) patient identification phlebotomist phlebotomy certification phlebotomy news phlebotomy standards specimen coll Source Type: info

Used Laboratory Equipment Finds a Place During Tough Economic RecessionEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Dark Daily interviews leading market maker in used and refurbished lab analyzers Used laboratory analyzers and systems are in demand across the United States, but the economic recession is less a factor in this market than would be expected. To find out if bargain-hunting pathologists and lab executives are snapping up refurbished analyzers and instrument systems [...] (Source: Dark Daily)
Source: Dark Daily - September 28, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: Justin Clark Tags: Laboratory News Laboratory Pathology clinical laboratory cost saver histology laboratory analyzers Laboratory Equipment Laboratory News. Lab News Laboratory Newsletter MIT pathologists physicians Rankin Biomedical Rankin Biomedic Source Type: info

Seven Deadly Sins of Quality Management Are Found in Many Clinical LaboratoriesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Unproductive workplace dynamics retard performance improvement efforts Some quality experts are recognizing that the true root causes of non-conforming events in clinical laboratories and pathology groups are not flaws in individual work processes. Rather, they argue the true root causes of defects are actually embedded organizational values and beliefs which management uses to justify and reinforce [...] (Source: Dark Daily)
Source: Dark Daily - September 25, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: Justin Clark Tags: Laboratory Management and Operations Laboratory News Laboratory Pathology Management & Operations clinical laboratory management clinical laboratory managers clinical management deadly sin John Dew lab error lab management lab qualit Source Type: info

Pathology’s Most Intrepid Computer Nerds Are Busy and InnovativeEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Helping pathologists go “all digital” is the vision of these informaticians DATELINE: PITTSBURGH—Lots of news and exciting developments have been showcased at this week’s gathering of pathology informatics gurus and innovators here in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The occasion is the 14th annual Advancing Practice, Instruction, and Innovation in Informatics (APIII) and your Dark Daily editor is here [...] (Source: Dark Daily)
Source: Dark Daily - September 23, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: jude Tags: Laboratory Management and Operations Laboratory News Laboratory Pathology Advancing Practice and Innovation in Informatics APIII David Clunie DICOM digital pathology digital pathology systems Instruction Lab Infotech Michael Becich Source Type: info

Medicare Targets Avoidable Hospital Readmissions to Jumpstart Delivery ReformEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Bundled Payment Demonstration Project Changes How Labs Would Be Paid Efforts in the nation’s capital to reform healthcare are still in the formative stage as the new President and the new Congress consider various approaches. Meanwhile, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) started the new year by launching pilots for a bundled-service payment scheme. Not only may this be the beginning of the end of the fee-for-service payment system, but it has important implications for clinical laboratories and anatomic pathology groups. The bundled payment system demonstration projects are a first step to what...
Source: Dark Daily - April 17, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: jude Tags: Laboratory News Laboratory Pathology aetna anatomic pathology groups avoidable hospitalization bundled payment bundled services CHF clinical laboratories congestive heart failure discharge planning fee-for-service FFS gainsharing Source Type: info

Roche Pays $46.8 Billion for Genentech—Now Sole Owner of Herceptin!Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
When Roche Holding AG (RO) of Basel, Switzerland, announced last month that it had an agreement to buy Genentech Inc. (DNA) of South San Francisco, California, it was big news. Roche had pursued the innovative drug maker since July with the primary goal of gaining access to the drugs in Genentech’s pipeline. On March 11, Roche got the support of Genentech’s board to pay $95 per share to buy the 44% of the company it doesn’t already own. One intriguing reason why Genentech was so attractive to Roche is that the California company has a line of products and biomarkers that fit almost seamlessly with what Ro...
Source: Dark Daily - April 15, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: jude Tags: Laboratory Pathology Management & Operations acquisition clinical laboratories companion diagnostics diagnostic test Genentech HER2/neu herceptin laboratory test molecular diagnostics pathologists personalized medicine Roche Hold Source Type: info

U.S. Hospital Employment Declines for First Time Since 2004!Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
First-ever Gathering of Lab CFOs, Controllers to take place on April 28-29, 2009 News that the number of hospital jobs in the United States fell for the first time since June 2004 reveals several useful insights for clinical laboratory managers and pathologists. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that, for March 2008, the number of hospital jobs declined by 700, against a total hospital workforce of 4.71 million. This small decline-less than one-tenth of one percent-demonstrates that demand for hospital services continues to be relatively resistant to economic declines. However, other Labor Bureau statistics high...
Source: Dark Daily - April 14, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: jude Tags: Laboratory Management and Operations Laboratory Pathology clinical laboratories healthcare physician THE DARK REPORT Source Type: info

Blueprint for National Health Records Network Accepted by 100 Stakeholder GroupsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Recent consensus sets stage for further progress with universal patient health records (PHRs) Efforts to advance use of a universal electronic patient health record (PHR) got a boost recently. The creation of a Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN) moved closer to reality with announcement of consensus among more than 100 stakeholders on guidelines for ensuring consumer-friendly features, operational efficiencies, privacy, and security. Connecting for Health, a public-private collaboration of health sector organizations and technology innovators, developed a common framework for building a network of networks. The f...
Source: Dark Daily - April 13, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: jude Tags: Laboratory News Laboratory Pathology clinical laboratory managers common framework Connecting for Health digital health record electronic health record electronic medical record EMR GoogleHealth health information Healthvault Markl Source Type: info

Novel Instrument Uses Molecular and Nanotechnology to Treat SepsisEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
New diagnostic and treatment approach will require close interaction with Pathologists There’s a novel diagnostic device designed to detect sepsis that also has to potential to engage the pathologist as part of the bedside care team. It is also an example of how nanotechnology and magnetism are being combined in ways that may support in vivo diagnosis and treatment. Created by a research scientist at Children’s Hospital Boston,  this new device uses magnetism to quickly pull disease pathogens out of infected blood. Experts predict it could become the first line of defense for sepsis, a disease which kills ab...
Source: Dark Daily - April 10, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: jude Tags: Laboratory News Laboratory Pathology blood infection bloodstream infection Center for Integration of Medicine and Innovative Technology Children’s Hospital Boston Chong Wing Yung Ph.D. Don Ingber M.D. Ph.D. Harvard University's Center fo Source Type: info

Tackling Every Clinical Lab’s Medical Technologist Recruiting & Retention ChallengeEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Learn why medical labs shoot themselves in the foot when advertising and interviewing candidate! Probably the single most publicized trend in laboratory medicine is the shortage of medical technologists (MTs), clinical laboratory scientists (CLS), and medical laboratory technologists (MLTs). This shortage prevents many clinical laboratory managers from keeping their laboratories staffed at authorized levels. Equally publicized is the looming mass exodus of Baby Boomers from clinical laboratory positions as they hit retirement age. The oldest Baby Boomers, born in 1946, are turning 63 this year! They are already eligible fo...
Source: Dark Daily - April 9, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: jude Tags: Laboratory Hiring & Human Resources Laboratory Pathology audio conference avera mckennan hospital Baby Boomers clinical laboratory managers clinical laboratory scientists CLS Dark Daily leo serrano med tech compensation medical labor Source Type: info

“Five Rights of Laboratory Testing” Will Become a Hallmark of Lab MedicineEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Here in Chicago at the huge HIMSS meeting, people are paying attention to lab testing Dateline: Chicago, IL-Most physicians, nurses, and other healthcare workers are quite familiar with the “Five Rights of Medication.” If one innovative healthcare company is successful, soon all these folks will be equally familiar with the newly-articulated “Five Rights of Laboratory Testing,” which emphasizes that every patient is entitled to receive the proper benefits from laboratory testing. Sunquest Information Systems, Inc has launched a campaign to promote the Five Rights of Laboratory Testing. The goal is...
Source: Dark Daily - April 7, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: Justin Clark Tags: Laboratory News Laboratory Pathology anatomic pathology laboratories clinical laboratories clinical laboratory scientists HIMSS hospitals and health systems Inc. medical laboratory technicians medical technologists pathologists phleb Source Type: info

Expansion of Medical Home Concept Requires Response by Clinical LaboratoriesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Meet the concept of the medical home. It is a managed-care delivery model that charges physicians with coordinating overall care for patients with chronic illnesses. Since its’ inception just a few years ago, it has spread nationwide. Medical home demonstration projects now operate in 22 states. Two states, Rhode Island and North Dakota, have implemented statewide programs. By design, the medical home is a patient-centered, integrated care model. An important goal is to create a strong, long-term relationship between the physician and the patient. It does this by replacing episodic care based on illness with proactiv...
Source: Dark Daily - April 6, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: jude Tags: Laboratory News Laboratory Pathology Blue Cross Blue Shield chronic condition electronic health information health information exchange medical home medical record medicare MediQHome National Committee for Quality Assurance NCQA pa Source Type: info

Raising the Performance Bar for Hospital Infection ControlEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
As more attention is paid to reducing the number of healthcare-associated infections (HIAs), hospitals and health systems respond with proactive programs to eliminate many obvious sources of such infections. In turn, this affects hospital laboratories, since they play a key role in every hospital’s infection control program. The basic statistics are stunning. Hospital-acquired infections (HIAs) affect nearly 2 million Americans annually, resulting in 90,000 deaths and up to $6.5 billion in extra costs, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). That is why, last fall, five important healthcare organizations ...
Source: Dark Daily - April 1, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: jude Tags: Laboratory News Laboratory Pathology bloodstream infection C. diff Catheter infection CDC Central line infection clinical laboratory Clostridium difficile Disease HAI hand-washing health HHS Hospital Hospital-acquired hospi Source Type: info

Why Smart Medical Labs Are Collecting More Reimbursement during Today’s Tough EconomyEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Essential action area for clinical laboratory management and pathology management With the American economy in a tailspin, payers and patients want to delay or avoid payment for laboratory testing services. That is not good news for clinical labs and pathology groups. It means their billing and collection departments must perform at an even more productive level just to stay even! At the same time, during poor economic times, “cash is King!” Clinical laboratories and pathology groups can protect cash flow and increase their revenues by boosting the effectiveness of their billing/collection efforts. This is a pr...
Source: Dark Daily - March 31, 2009 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: jude Tags: Coding, Billing, and Collections Laboratory Pathology Management & Operations billing and collections Bureau of Labor Statistics CCI editing CEO CFO clean claims clinical laboratories clinical laboratory management coding/billing/col Source Type: info