|
R. Lewis Dark: A Tale of Two Hospitals
DURING THE PAST TWO WEEKS, we've watched as the nation's 35th largest
city—New Orleans—and a metropolitan area encompassing more than 1
million people has literally ceased to exist. Today this region is effectively a
ghost town and former residents are scattered throughout the United States.
This event is unparalleled in American history. The closest natural
disaster I can relate to this event is the San Francisco earthquake of April
1906. The earthquake, and the fires which followed, destroyed threequarters
of the city and left 300,000 people homeless. Thus, the impact
of Hurricane Katrina on Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama is without
precedent. It also is a warning for all laboratories and pathology group
practices. Emergency planning and disaster response scenarios should
receive more attention and resources.
I offer, as an example of good emergency planning, the experience of
Tulane University Hospital and Clinic (TUHC), owned by for-profit HCA
Inc. Last fall, HCA had a"hurricane lessons learned" meeting in Orlando,
Florida. This was to develop emergency plans using the experience of the
three hurricanes which hit Florida that year. With Hurricane Katrina
approaching, HCA executives created a crisis-management team at corporate
offices in Nashville to identify needs, model scenarios, and provide
resources to its hospital, located not far from the New Orleans Superdome.
When the hospital began to flood,"we were unable to get any governmental
help in evacuating," declared Norman McSwain, M.D,
Professor of Surgery at Tulane and Trauma Director at Charity
located across the street from Tulane and operated by the state of
HCA's response was to charter 20 helicopters from various sources.
that communications would be a problem, they flew ham-radio operators
New Orleans to coordinate the airlift! In the next few days, HCA airlifted
patients and 1,200 staff and family members from TUHC. HCAalso
helicopters to evacuate patients and staff from Charity Hospital.
I make two observations about the tale of these two hospitals. First, it is
a heartwarming example of American initiative and ingenuity at its best.
Second, it's a sad comment about the failings of bureaucratic government
agencies. Despite access to immense resources, these agencies cannot make
bold decisions and act expeditiously, as did HCA in this disaster.
Houston Lab Fills Gap For Katrina Evacuees
With evacuees pouring into Houston,
area hospitals responded with lab services
CEO SUMMARY: Literally overnight, Houston found itself
dealing with tens of thousands of evacuees fleeing the
destruction in New Orleans and surrounding areas. Many
evacuees arrived in poor health. The Harris County Hospital
District laboratorians of Houston pitched in to create an emergency
laboratory support system that was surprisingly
sophisticated. Here's how labs in Houston met the challenge.
Lab Suppliers Step Up In Katrina's Aftermath
Industry firms were often first to get supplies and relief to laboratories affected by the storm
CEO SUMMARY: It's a story that escapes media coverage.
As Hurricane Katrina advanced northward, often the first
source of fresh supplies and disaster relief for laboratories
affected by the storm was their instrument vendor or other
supplier. Many of these companies were pre-positioning
needed laboratory supplies and relief items even while
Hurricane Katrina was still offshore.
Molecular IVD Rankings
Molecular Diagnostic Companies:
Ranking By 2004 Annual Revenue
Assessing Growth
in Molecular Diagnostics
Sonic Healthcare Buys Clinical Pathology Labst
Nation's largest private commercial lab firm
will be acquired by Australia's largest lab
CEO SUMMARY: It's one of the most interesting lab acquisitions
to take place in the past decade. Pathologist-owners of
Austin, Texas-based Clinical Pathology Laboratories, Inc. are
selling up to 85% of their lab company to Sonic Healthcare,
Ltd, Australia's largest laboratory firm. The acquisition
brings a new lab competitor into the U.S. market and is likely
to trigger significant changes to the status quo.
Sonic HealthCare In US: How Will Market Change?
In the same month, LabOne sells to Quest
and Sonic Healthcare buys CPL in Austin
CEO SUMMARY: LabOne, Inc.'s acquisition by Quest
Diagnostics Incorporated, announced in early August,
removes, as a competitor, a lab company that was growing
and beginning to credibly challenge the two blood brothers.
Just weeks later, Sonic Healthcare Ltd.'s purchase of
Clinical Pathology Laboratories, Inc. of Austin, Texas brings
a brand-new competitor into the national lab market.
HCA Buys IRL From MDS,
Makes Plans for Future
South Florida laboratory operation supports
13 HCA hospitals and has outreach program
CEO SUMMARY: When HCA purchased the MDS partner
share in Integrated Regional Laboratory of Ft. Lauderdale,
Florida, it marked the end of MDS Laboratories' ten-year"United States Adventure." It also put HCA in full ownership
of an automated core laboratory and a laboratory outreach
testing program full of promise. Efforts are underway at IRLFLA
to build specimen volume and revenues.
INTELLIGENCE:
HOSPITAL ON WHEELS
TRAVELS TO GULF COAST
FROM NORTH CAROLINA
ADD TO: Mobile Hospital
| 
