Laboratory Workforce has Opportunity to Advance Patient-Centered Care at the 2012 ASCP Annual Meeting

In the rapidly changing healthcare environment, the entire laboratory workforce needs to recognize the importance of its contribution to healthcare reform and patient-centered care.

That is the conviction of James M. Crawford, MD, PhD, FASCP, Senior Vice President of Laboratory Medicine, North Shore-Long Island Jewish (LIJ) Health System, Manhasset, N.Y. He will moderate a panel of national leaders in pathology for a plenary session titled, “The Role of Pathology in Patient-Centered Care,” from 4:15 to 6:16 p.m. on Nov 1, at the 2012 ASCP Annual Meeting, Oct. 31–Nov. 3, in Boston.

The speakers will address the context of the clinical laboratory in coordinated care; accountable care organizations (ACOs); and the patient-centered medical home. Emphasis will be placed on valued-based utilization of laboratory testing; data management and interoperability; cost management of laboratory services; and performance of the laboratory as a patient- and client-centered provider. 

“Everyone needs to understand the opportunity we have to stand out in the industry,” Dr. Crawford said. “The clinical laboratory can advance the patient experience, improve individual patient outcomes and population outcomes, and enhance the healthcare system’s ability to continually improve its delivery of health care.” 

Panelist David Nace, MD, is Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative, Washington, D.C., the leading national advocacy organization for the patient-centered medical home. He will discuss a national vision for clinical integration, the growing importance of primary care, and the enhancement of the individual patient experience, including his vision for the contribution of the clinical laboratory to patient-centered care.

“The idea is that a physician’s practice should focus on the patient, not the physician, and that every patient should have a physician who coordinates all their care,” Dr. Crawford said. “As the patient-centered medical home gains momentum in American health care, it finds its perfect place in the context of integrated care, as embodied by accountable care organizations.”

Panelist Richard Friedberg, MD, PhD, MHCM, is a leading pathology voice on the role of pathology in the accountable care era. As Chair of Pathology at Baystate Health System, in Springfield, Mass., he oversees a hybrid academic/private practice group of 21 pathologists responsible for 50,000 surgical specimens, 90,000 cytology specimens, and seven million laboratory tests. He also serves as Professor and Deputy Chair of Pathology at Tufts University School of Medicine’s Western Campus, Springfield, Mass. Dr. Friedberg will discuss the leadership role that Pathology can provide, drawing on his experiences in the Massachusetts healthcare environment.

The third panelist, Robert Stallone, Vice President for Laboratory Services at North Shore-(LIJ) Health System, is responsible for the growth of North Shore’s integrated laboratory system in the greater New York area. He will discuss how the laboratory is rising to the challenge, which includes galvanizing the laboratory workforce to respond to this challenge and managing a high-performance laboratory.

“Yes, you have to run a successful business,” Dr. Crawford acknowledged. “A laboratory also has to be incredibly responsive to physicians and patients, cost effective, and a team player in the healthcare environment. We hope to generate excitement and enthusiasm in rising to this challenge.”

For more information about our roster of programs or to register for the 2012 ASCP Annual Meeting, click here. The 2012 Annual Meeting App is now available for iPhone and Android devices. For iOS (iPhone, iPad), click here.  For Android, click here.