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Medical Laboratory Observer's 2022 Lab of the Year is Mary Greeley Medical Center Laboratory in Ames, IA. The lab stood out for the depth and variety of initiatives its managers [...]

Many lab managers are using data analytics to measure and manage operational and clinical performance. 'We are basically a service line that provides data. We are absolutely buried with data [...]

The article details U.S. Norfolk Southern Railway's implementation of a machine vision system in collaboration with the Georgia Tech Research Institute to inspect moving rail cars for defects. It mentions that the system utilizes high-resolution cameras, stadium lights, and artificial intelligence algorithms to capture and analyze images of trains traveling at high speeds, aiming to enhance defect detection and maintenance efficiency.

As the number of people who are vaccinated for COVID-19 increases, the volume of testing for the virus decreases. That means clinical labs are readjusting their testing portfolios to meet [...]

Judging the entries for Medical Laboratory Observer's Lab of the Year award is always a daunting job. This was particularly true this year, given the central role clinical labs have [...]

Once the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) hit the United States, Central Ohio Primary Care, with more than 75 locations, wanted to launch polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing to detect the virus. [...]

Medical Laboratory Observer's 2020 annual salary survey of laboratory professionals revealed a sizable jump in the average salary, based on the responses of all participants, although quite a few job [...]

Lab managers strive to improve both the quality and efficiency, or value, of their operations. That was the message that came through in Medical Laboratory Observer's (MLO) second State of [...]

Hospital-based labs are beginning to deploy next-generation sequencing (NGS) for cancer diagnostics in-house, rather than sending samples out to specialized laboratories. NGS allows labs to uncover the genetic makeup of [...]

The article focuses on Bosch's implementation of a machine vision system to verify serial codes on injector nozzles used in diesel engines, addressing challenges in capturing readable images of laser-engraved characters on cylindrical surfaces. It reports that Bosch replaced its previous smart-camera system due to high false reject rates, and it highlights the collaboration with LumiVision to enhance image quality and capture speed.

The article focuses on rugged machine vision lighting options designed to withstand harsh environments, such as extreme temperatures, moisture, dust, and shock. It reports that lighting manufacturers have developed products and techniques, including enclosures and washdown lights, to address these challenges, and it emphasizes the importance of selecting lighting solutions suited for specific environmental conditions.

Laboratories provide crucial data in in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. That is why industry leaders think lab managers should be involved in plotting their institution's transition from payment [...]

Human error is the culprit behind most centrifuge accidents in labs, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). This means that lab managers can improve centrifuge safety at [...]

Laboratories with COVID-19 testing programs scramble to source swabs, reagents, test kits, personal protective equipment (PPE) and trained staff. But that is not all. Getting paid is another issue. There [...]

Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children's Hospital (PSHMC) offers something relatively rare: a hospital-based training program in medical laboratory science (MLS). Launched in 1932, the program is a key [...]

Measuring the amount of HbA1c in the blood is a common laboratory test for both diagnosing and monitoring diabetes. It also is an important test because diabetes is a major [...]

The American Society for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) and the American Diabetes Association (ADA) are updating their evidence-based clinical guidelines for diagnosing and monitoring diabetes. Some of the major areas of [...]

The article highlights the deployment of an autonomous excavator designed by ETH Zurich for building a stone retaining wall in Switzerland, showcasing advancements in robotic construction technology. It states that the robotic excavator, equipped with LiDAR scanners and RGB cameras, was used to construct both a demonstration wall and a permanent structure in Circularity Park, integrating autonomous systems for efficient and sustainable construction.

In the International Classification of Diseases, the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies burnout as 'a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.' The [...]

Labs are using increasingly sophisticated approaches to data analytics to improve their operations. Most labs use what is known as descriptive analytics, which involves interpreting what has already happened. Examples [...]

The rate of claims denials at health systems and laboratories has been increasing, which means that managing denials is becoming an important part of an organization's revenue cycle workflow. The [...]

As the COVID-19 pandemic has surged into its second year, rapid tests to detect SARS-CoV-2 and deliver results quickly have become more prevalent. The gold standard to diagnosis COVID-19 is [...]

Senior Editor In February, the Joint Commission announced that its survey standards would now include compliance with federal rules requiring healthcare workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. This announcement followed [...]

Why did you choose to pursue a career in clinical laboratory management? What appealed to you about a specialization in hematology testing? I chose to pursue clinical laboratory management because [...]

Given Omicron's transmissibility and resulting surge in COVID-19 cases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued emergency guidance to help healthcare facilities, including laboratories, provide the staff necessary [...]

How did you become involved in the work of SunCoast Blood Centers? Sixteen years ago, I joined the SunCoast Blood Centers as director of donor services and recruitment, and three [...]

As 2022 dawns, a world weary from battling SARS-CoV-2 faces a new variant of the virus: Omicron (B.1.1.529). The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and [...]

The large volume of testing for SARS-CoV-2 has exposed process-flow bottlenecks in clinical labs. That is why labs should prepare for an expected onslaught of COVID-19, flu and other diagnostic [...]

Transfusion medicine is an important part of the treatment process for many cancer patients, whose disease and treatment might lead to bleeding or clotting issues, too few red blood cells, [...]

Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases in the United States. In 2018,34.2 million Americans, or 1 in 10, had diabetes and 88 million American adults, or 1 [...]

Sean T. Campbell, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Pathology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Associate Director of the Clinical Chemistry Laboratory at Montefiore Medical Center. He sits on [...]

The American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) held its Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo 'live' in Atlanta in late September. Despite the pleasant weather (warm, sunny, and not [...]

David McClintock, MD, is an Associate CMIO, Director of Digital Pathology, and Associate Director of Pathology Informatics at Michigan Medicine. He also is an Associate Professor of Pathology. Before joining [...]

While Delta is the dominant SARS-CoV-2 variant, a newcomer, Mu, has gained the world's attention. Mu became the World Health Organization's (WHO) fifth variant of interest (VOI) on August 30. [...]

Today's lab managers are pursuing a wide range of employee-retention strategies, including initiatives to boost morale and develop careers. Retaining existing staff members is regarded as less expensive than recruiting [...]

Beaumont Health debuted its serology-testing service for COVID-19 after just one month of planning--a remarkably short timeline for launching a new lab service. 'We recognized that there would be a [...]

What makes lab innovators worth watching? They develop procedures or processes to improve testing, allowing for faster and more accurate diagnoses, treatments and, ultimately, better patient outcomes. In Medical Laboratory [...]

Mary Lanning Healthcare (MLH) in Hastings, NE, is a regional hospital serving rural communities throughout south central Nebraska. The 57-employee lab--which was just recertified by the College of American Pathologists [...]

Since 1946,Norman Regional Health System (NRHS) has been serving consumers in south and central Oklahoma. Operated by the Norman Regional Hospital Authority, a public trust, the system has two hospitals [...]

As the number of novel coronavirus cases continually increase throughout the world, laboratorians and hospitals need to ensure they are prepared to diagnose and treat infected patients. When Chinese officials [...]

As the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant surges throughout the United States, so has the number of cases and, therefore, the demand for SARS-CoV-2 testing. According to data from the Coronavirus Resource [...]

As pharmacogenomics becomes more common, the need to standardize best practices for detecting genetic variations in patients through testing becomes more important. That is why the Association for Molecular Pathology [...]

In this issue, the editors at Medical Laboratory Observer celebrate the spirit of creative problem-solving with profiles of MLO's 2021 Lab Innovators Worth Watching. This is a recognition program we [...]

Why did you decide to develop a digital microfluidics platform for newborn screening? What problems in newborn testing did you want to address? We have a lot of collaborations with [...]

As vaccination rates climb--albeit more slowly now than earlier in the year--labs in many parts of the country are handling fewer SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic tests. At the same time, newly vaccinated [...]

The article examines the expansion of machine vision technology beyond traditional industrial inspection, highlighting its growing role in diverse applications like autonomous driving, automated assembly, and bin picking. It provides examples of how machine vision is used in innovative inspection systems, such as one developed by U.S. Norfolk Southern Railway and the Georgia Tech Research Institute to monitor trains, and another by Titan Cement for inspecting cement sacks.

Lale White, MBA, is Executive Chairman and CEO of XIFIN, which markets revenue cycle management software and a laboratory information system. White launched XIFIN in 1997, She has a BA [...]

Vaccines from AstraZeneca and Janssen Pharmaceuticals are associated with a risk of a rare and severe blood clot occurring with low platelets. This is something labs should be prepared for [...]

Why did you decide to become a medical technologist and to specialize in molecular microbiology? I loved the idea of working in a laboratory and using this interest to provide [...]

The federal government has added more tools recently to the COVID-19 testing arsenal for serial screening initiatives. As the United States races to outpace the spread of new SARS-CoV-2 variants [...]