Beigel Addresses CMS’ Withdrawal of Physician Signature Rule
CMS rescinds rule amid concerns about possible impact to patient care raised by medical community, Congress.
BD Vacutainer Blood Collection Tubes by Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD): Class I Recall – Chemical Interference with Certain Tests
BD Vacutainer EDTA Lavender, Tan, and Pink Top Tubes BD Vacutainer Lithium Heparin Green Top Tube [Posted 03/23/2018] AUDIENCE: Risk Manager, Nursing, Laboratory ISSUE: BD is recalling their Vacutainer EDTA Blood Collection Tubes with lavender, tan, pink and green rubber tube stoppers due to a chemical in the rubber tube stopper that interferes with the…
Baby Boomers, Retirements, and the Lab Workforce Shortage
The workforce shortage plaguing the lab industry is a well-documented phenomenon. One of the reasons for this is the senior nature of the lab workforce. According to ADVANCE’s 2010 survey, 36 percent of lab workers are baby boomers ages 50 – 59, making it the single biggest subgroup by age in the profession. Citing news…
Answers to all your Zika Questions
A recent USA Today article offers answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about the mosquito-borne Zika virus. The virus has led to an epidemic of birth defects and cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare condition that causes paralysis, in Latin and South America. The virus can be spread through mosquitos, sexual transmission…
Announcement from the FDA regarding lead testing
FDA warns Americans about risk of inaccurate results from certain lead tests CDC recommends retesting for certain children, pregnant women and nursing mothers May 17, 2017 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are warning Americans that certain lead tests manufactured by Magellan Diagnostics may provide inaccurate results for…
ACP Executive Michael Barr, M. D. to Lead ACO, PCMH Webinar for COLA
COLA will sponsor a live webinar on two emerging healthcare delivery and cost savings models, Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) and the Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) for clinical laboratories on Tuesday, May 22 from 2-3 p.m. EST. The program will be led by Dr. Michael S. Barr, Senior Vice President, Division of Medical Practice,…
ACOs: Do You Need a Consultant?
Rules establishing “Accountable Care Organizations” (ACOs) – a new health care payment and delivery reform model linking provider reimbursements to quality metrics – took effect in January. COLA is working on a few initiatives intended to better define how a laboratory should integrate into the ACO model. In the meantime, this article in Amednews examines…
ACLA Expresses Opposition to Lab Copay Proposal to Congressional Panel
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.”
Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs): One Perspective
According to a recent article on AAFP’s “News Now” site, a nationally-recognized expert on healthcare payments and quality issues believes that primary care physicians, not hospitals, should take the lead on creating ACOs. Click here to read comments made by Harold Miller, executive director of the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform and president/CEO…
A New Role for Self-Assessment
Veteran surveyor devises new use for old tool