Of all the topics discussed at Executive War College in Miami last month, informatics was frequently mentioned as a key to success for clinical labs. The vision of full-service diagnostics—integrating imaging, informatics and in vitro diagnostics—has already begun to take shape with Siemens’ acquisitions of Bayer Diagnostics and Diagnostic Products Corp, and General Electric in the process of purchasing Abbott Diagnostics.
A conference presentation by Siemens executive Dave Hickey (“Midyear Report,” in this month’s Industry Trends) laid out the company’s plan to change the health care paradigm from a doctor/cure model to a prevention model. Combining molecular technologies with imaging and laboratory testing will generate larger quantities of data, which will require information technology to analyze and interpret results to be used for enhancing clinical diagnoses.
Laboratory executives who acquire the technology to capture large amounts of imaging data and interpret it for those who make clinical decisions will increasingly be the leaders in the field of laboratory management.
One such executive who spoke at the conference— Larry Siedlick, cofounder and CEO of Sunrise Medical Laboratories, which serves the New York metro area—said that informatics and information connectivity are among the keys to his success—which has been phenomenal.
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Founded as a local community lab in 1972, Sunrise is now the largest private regional lab in New York City, with $72 million projected revenue this year.
According to Robert Michel, who runs the annual War College conferences, during the past 15 years, Sunrise has had a “sterling track record of sustained growth and profitability…because of its sophisticated informatics strategy and strong record of service.”
Indeed, Sunrise holds contracts with all the important payers in the New York market, and operates 17 patient service centers with more than 300 employees. In his presentation, Siedlick discussed the importance of marrying an efficient laboratory operation to a professional sales and marketing program.
To succeed as an independent lab, Siedlick stressed the importance of information connectivity, becoming an early adapter of technology, and interfacing with all the major practice management and EMR systems. Lab managers, he said, should “become information junkies.”
Cheryl Woodruff
