COLA has launched a new web portal designed to connect laboratorians and other industry professionals with technical consultants who can assist them. The new tool, www.myconsultantcentral.com, provides a searchable database of technical consultants with expertise in COLA and CLIA criteria. Available to COLA members, non-member laboratories, manufacturers and other industry decision makers, the free service…
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) prepared the following FAQ sheet answering questions about a proposed new rule to allow patients direct access to their testing results from previously-exempted labs. To view the proposed regulation, click here. Frequently Asked Questions CMS-2319-P: Patients’ Access to Test Reports 1. What are the proposed changes to…
COLA has presented the 2011 Perry A. Lambird Memorial Excellence in Medicine Award to Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-7th, MD). Typically bestowed upon distinguished individuals within the medical or lab communities, Cummings is the first public servant to receive it. Rep. Cummings was selected because of his long history of advocating for the rights of all…
Veteran Technical Consultant Applies Knowledge, People Skills to Duties
Several federal agencies have jointly proposed a rule which would allow patients to have direct access to lab test results, rather than having to go through their physicians. The proposed rule would amend the patient privacy provisions of two federal laws, the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA), and the Health Insurance Portability and…
The Baltimore Sun publishes a recurring feature called “The Interview” in which they talk to Maryland-based CEOs. This week they featured COLA CEO Doug Beigel, who speaks about shortages in the lab workforce and COLA’s efforts to address them.
Click here to read the article.
Lessons Learned from Hurricane Irene By Douglas Beigel, Chief Executive Officer COLA Hurricane Irene may finally be history, but for some labs, the hard part – cleaning up and resuming operations – has just begun. The cost of the storm is presently estimated to be up to $10 billion, making it one of the top…
Alan Mertz, president of the American Clinical Laboratory Association of which COLA is an associate member, has sent this letter to all 12 members of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction. In it, he outlines what he calls, “serious concerns that ACLA has regarding proposals for imposing copayments or coinsurance for laboratory services under Medicare.”
Leading Laboratory Accreditor Adds Two More Surveyors, Bringing Total to 26
If you’re a student attending or planning to attend college in Maryland and have yet to choose a career path, there are reasons to consider the lab sciences. A number of Maryland schools, including Morgan State University, the Community College of Baltimore County-Essex, and the University of Maryland Baltimore, offer programs and/or financial aid opportunities…
