Jan 28, 2010 | Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology
Carilion Clinic and Novant Health will continue to own equity in the new clinical laboratory company
It was big news in the clinical laboratory industry yesterday when Spectrum Laboratory Network of Greensboro, North Carolina announced a merger with Carilion Labs of Roanoke, Virginia. The combined enterprise will have annual revenue of approximately $300 million and immediately becomes one of the nation’s larger clinical laboratory companies.
As announced by the parties involved, Carilion Clinic will hold a 33% ownership interest in the new laboratory company. Novant Health, which holds a minority interest in Spectrum Laboratory Network, will continue as an equity owner and will have a seat on the new board of directors, once the two laboratory organizations are merged into one company.
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Jan 25, 2010 | Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology
Irish health service plans to downsize and shut some pathology laboratories while building two or three new stand-alone clinical laboratories
DUBLIN, IRELAND—Pathology testing and clinical laboratories in Ireland will soon be involved in a major project to overhaul the entire system of laboratory medicine in this country of 4.5 million people. Today, your Dark Daily editor wraps up a week-long visit to medical laboratories in Dublin and the pending reorganization of clinical laboratories is a major topic among pathologists and clinical laboratory scientists.
Last year, Ireland’s Health Service Executive (HSE) issued a press release announcing the program to modernize the nation’s clinical laboratory service. The plan specifies that some pathology laboratories will be downsized or closed as regional laboratory testing networks are developed. Another major element in the plan is the creation of two or three “cold” laboratories—what North American laboratory professionals would recognize as a stand-alone clinical laboratory facility providing routine testing to general practice clinics—to serve this segment of the Irish healthcare system.
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Jan 20, 2010 | Laboratory Hiring & Human Resources, Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology
Medical laboratory Technologists are one of 12 professions covered by this government program
Foreign medical laboratory technologists and medical laboratory scientists (MTs) who are new emigrants to British Columbia and other Canadian provinces will be one of a select group of professions to have their credentials recognized within one year under a new “fast-track” arrangement developed by the Canadian and provincial governments.
By recognizing the need to fast track medical laboratory scientists, Canada is acknowledging that pathology laboratories and clinical laboratories face a tight labor market. It is welcome recognition of the need for clinical laboratories to operate with a full staff of qualified pathologists, clinical chemists, medical technologists, and other laboratory medicine specialists.
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Jan 13, 2010 | Coding, Billing, and Collections, Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology
Dermatologist Steven P. Rosenberg, M.D., chases Humana for $120,000 in claims as old as two years
Clinical pathology laboratories often have problems with health insurance plans that delay paying legitimate claims for reimbursement. Now comes news of a unique strategy successfully employed by a Florida dermatologist who was frustrated that one payer was taking as long as two years to settle his claims.
At the center of this story is Steven P. Rosenberg, M.D. After waiting more than two years for Humana Inc. (NASDAQ: HUM) insurance to reimburse his West Palm Beach dermatology practice for about $120,000 in unpaid claims, Rosenberg decided to take aggressive action. Wanting to avoid the added costs of attorneys, Rosenberg made time to read up on the law and brainstorm. His solution caught Humana off guard and he ended up collecting a substantial amount of the money that Humana owed him. Rosenberg’s solution is something that medical laboratories and pathology groups could employ in cases where a health insurer owes them significant amounts of money.
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Jan 11, 2010 | Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology
Proteus Biomedical, Inc. prepares to launch a “smart pill” to remotely monitor how medication affects patients.
If some experts are correct, it won’t take long to create ingestible devices that are capable of conducting clinical laboratory tests within the body. These devices would transmit the laboratory test results to physicians over the Internet by using wireless technology.
As soon as 2011, Proteus Medical, Inc., of Redwood City, California, says it expects to introduce an ingestible device for managing heart disease and chronic disease to the clinical market. Proteus named this device the Raisin System and a popular term for this type of technology is “smart pill.”
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