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RCM News
Why pursue laboratory
outreach at your hospital?
The healthcare industry’s financial leaders often Each strategic group in the hospital has a
ponder the value of laboratory outreach. If you’re unique perspective the other groups may not
a hospital CFO (or someone who has your finger fully understand. Laboratory looks at operational
on the financial pulse of your organization), efficiency and expanding business; finance looks at
you might wonder: profitability and costs; the IT group serves as a reality
check to ensure any proposed changes are realistic
• What does laboratory outreach and achievable.
do for my hospital?
• Is the potential reimbursement Hospital laboratories traditionally have underutilized
really worth the effort? test capacity. They have “fixed costs,” to professionally
staff and maintain the equipment in a laboratory 24/7
• What’s wrong with the hospital’s to address inpatient/outpatient testing.
infrastructure that’s currently in place?
Outreach testing primarily impacts the “incremental
The answers to these questions are crucial costs” associated with the relatively low cost of
to the hospital’s finance group—and give an performing additional tests (reagents and supplies)
option for maximizing lab utilization and that translate into higher revenue margins for every
overhead expenses already paid for by outreach test run through the hospital laboratory.
utilizing these resources during non-peak hours.
SCC Quarterly | Volume 4 • Issue 1 | RCM News
