Opportunity for Improvement
With a growing hospital system and increasing pressure to compete with national labs, there were many opportunities for tactical and strategic improvements within a Regional lab program. System leaders saw great opportunities for expansion across state lines, but the lab program would need to evaluate and optimize existing processes to accomplish such aggressive outreach and onboarding.
This lab was ready to expand the footprint and reach of the lab, with the goal of creating economies of scale and improving patient care. In order to make it work, the lab would need to adopt best practices from the top down.
Working with Accumen, this lab found a partner to support their ambitious goals, through outreach efforts and beyond. Accumen provided a complete review of the end-to-end process within the lab, from courier services to dynamic scheduling, to ensure the hospital system’s needs were met. Accumen also supported this lab as they deployed cost reduction strategies and expanded outreach.
- Facility type: Nonprofit integrated health system
- Facilities: Two hospitals and 12 affiliations
- Personnel: 2,000 employees and 300+ affiliated physicians
- Annual Lab Spend: $6.7M
Establish Processes & Practices
As any growing network provider knows, each lab and office brings with it its own processes and practices. Evaluating the various procedures to identify opportunities for improvement and lessons applicable throughout the organization helped elevate every lab within the network. When coupled with the expertise of the Accumen team, this Regional lab realized considerable cost savings.
Outreach For Growth
With growing areas of specialty and strategic placement of couriers, phlebotomists, clinic rapid response labs, and patient service centers, this Regional lab was able to maximize growth while improving outreach processes. This included improvements in the client services department, billing services, notification systems, lab equipment optimization, and dynamic lab scheduling.
Evaluate & Adjust
With continued support from Accumen, this Regional lab has developed a competitive pricing model with multiple fee schedules, maximizing revenue opportunities while improving lab performance. The team has also been able to evaluate key areas of need, such as late-night arrival processing, to be of the highest service to their patients and providers.
“When we look at our key success metrics…
…we could see the lasting impact of our work with Accumen in decreased lab costs and the improved quality of our patient outcomes.”
The Impact of Our Work
“With the support of the team at Accumen we were able to meet the service needs of a greater footprint that crossed four state lines while at the same time improving our processes within the lab to improve our two key metrics for success.” – Director of Ancillary Services
Looking Forward
As the partnership with Accumen has passed its twenty-two-year anniversary, this Regional lab benefits from having a trusted long-term partner. As the Accumen team expands and capabilities grow, the team at this Regional lab will reap the rewards.
The breadth of the lab practice within this Regional lab continues to grow and evolve. This Regional lab’s confidence is directly related to having the team at Accumen supporting their ambitious efforts.