Month: May 2025

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May 27, 2025

This year’s inaugural hc1 Healthcare Innovation Summit was nothing short of extraordinary. Held alongside the iconic Indianapolis 500, the event brought together healthcare leaders, innovators, and partners for two days of high-performance insights, networking, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

A Unique Blend of Business and Racing

The hc1 Healthcare Innovation Summit was designed to inspire and empower healthcare executives to drive high-performance results in their organizations. By tying the event to the high-speed world of IndyCar racing, we created a unique environment where attendees could explore parallels between high-performance racing and high-performance healthcare.

From engaging keynote sessions to exclusive behind-the-scenes access at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Summit offered a perfect mix of education, networking, and entertainment.

Key Highlights from the Healthcare Innovation Summit

Inspiring Keynotes and Panels:

Industry leaders shared actionable insights on topics like healthcare innovation, operational efficiency, and patient-centered care. These sessions sparked meaningful discussions and left attendees with practical strategies to implement in their organizations.

Exclusive Trackside Experiences:

Attendees enjoyed private access to the Gasoline Alley Suites, overlooking the iconic track. They also had the chance to meet driver Jack Harvey, tour the garage area, and immerse themselves in the high-energy atmosphere of the Indy 500.

Networking and Collaboration:

The Healthcare Innovation Summit fostered valuable connections. Whether during interactive sessions, meals, or trackside activities, attendees had ample opportunities to exchange ideas and build relationships.

High-Performance Healthcare Messaging:

The Summit reinforced hc1’s commitment to empowering healthcare organizations with innovative solutions. Through expert thought leadership, we showcased how high-performance principles can transform healthcare delivery.

Keeping the Momentum Going

The hc1 Healthcare Innovation Summit was more than just an event – it was a catalyst for change. As we reflect on the incredible moments we shared, we’re excited to keep the momentum going.

We’re already planning next year’s Summit, and we can’t wait to build on the success of this year’s inaugural event. Sign up here to stay up-to-date on the 2026 hc1 Healthcare Innovation Summit, and thank you to everyone who made this event an unforgettable experience.

Together, let’s continue driving high-performance results in healthcare!

 

By Kelly Lucas
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May 20, 2025

Differentiating hc1 from global management consulting firms is essential – especially when a healthcare institution has already worked with one of these large firms on a laboratory consulting project and is seeking fresh, tangible value. Here’s a clear comparison that highlights our unique advantages.

1. Healthcare Specialization vs. General Strategy

  • hc1: 100% focused on healthcare operations, especially in clinical lab services, pathology, blood management, and clinical transformation.
  • Large Firms: Known for high-level strategic consulting across industries; healthcare is one vertical among many.
  • ✅ Why it matters: hc1 brings depth over breadth – we speak the same clinical language, understand regulatory pressures, and move faster on implementation by already having the subject matter expertise.

2. Implementation-Driven vs. Strategy-Only

  • hc1: We stay on the ground to execute the strategy—process redesign, change management, technology integration, benchmarking, and more.
  • Large Firms: Primarily focus on strategic frameworks and recommendations, often leaving execution to the client or third-party implementers.
  • ✅ Why it matters: hc1 brings the team, tools, and training needed to deliver change – not just advise it.

3. Clinical and Operational Alignment

  • hc1: Deep expertise in areas like lab operations, blood utilization, Epic Beaker transitions, digital pathology, and clinical efficiency.
  • Large Firms: Tend to operate at the enterprise or financial level, with less emphasis on day-to-day clinical workflows.
  • ✅ Why it matters: hc1 bridges the gap between finance, operations, and frontline clinicians – ensuring sustainable solutions.

4. Faster ROI with Focused Deliverables

  • hc1: Projects are targeted and outcomes-driven, often producing ROI in 3–6 months through lab cost savings, staffing optimization, or improved throughput.
  • Large Firms: Multi-million dollar engagements that may take months just to assess and define strategy, especially in large institutions.
  • ✅ Why it matters: hc1’s speed, flexibility, and clinical precision deliver value faster, with less institutional fatigue.

5. Transparent Collaboration vs. Executive-Focused Approach

  • hc1: Works side-by-side with clinical and operational teams, building internal capabilities and buy-in at every level.
  • Large Firms: Often work primarily with executive leadership, which can create a disconnect between strategy and frontline execution.
  • ✅ Why it matters: hc1 builds organizational alignment and lasting cultural change – not just executive slide decks.

6. Clinical Lab & Pathology Expertise

  • hc1: Recognized leader in lab transformation, digital pathology, PBM, and Epic Beaker transitions – core areas of interest.
  • Large Firms: May engage lab experts for specific projects but lack the long-term lab infrastructure and focus.
  • ✅ Why it matters: hc1 isn’t learning your lab on the job – we’ve optimized dozens like it through laboratory consulting projects.

Bonus: We Complement Management Consulting Firms’ Work

If a large firm already set the strategic direction, hc1 can step in to operationalize and sustain it – making us partners, not replacements.

 

By helping lab leaders overcome complex financial, staffing, and supply chain challenges through comprehensive laboratory consulting services, hc1 enables healthcare organizations to unlock their labs’ full potential. To learn more about our suite of Operational Excellence solutions, watch our recent webinar on-demand.

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Kelly Lucas, MSM, BSMT(ASCP), is responsible for working with laboratory clients to identify opportunities that optimize operations and delivery savings against commitments. She brings over 30 years of experience in clinical laboratory operations with multi-facility healthcare clinicians and administrators to deliver high quality patient care while simultaneously meeting regulatory and business demands. Kelly strives to provide innovative and meaningful information to our clients that drive optimization of operational efficiencies and bring value to the client. She has a proven record of driving consensus among diverse stakeholders, cultivating and maintaining strong relationships. She has developed strategies for core lab optimization, consolidation/centralization, and supply chain improvements.

By Katie Benyo
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May 6, 2025

Clinical laboratories are the bedrock of healthcare, providing essential data that drives up to 70% of medical decisions. Yet, many labs today grapple with significant operational hurdles, often stemming from a lack of access to real-time, actionable data. In a recent hc1 webinar, experts Kelly Lucas, Client Engagement Executive, and Jennifer Maxwell, Executive Director, Client Success, delved into these challenges with me and discussed how health systems and lab leaders can achieve operational excellence by viewing the lab as a strategic asset.

The Data Disconnect in Lab Operations

Despite generating vast amounts of data for patient diagnostics, a significant gap exists in how effectively labs utilize data for their own operational management. A survey cited in the webinar revealed that only 12% of lab professionals have access to data analytics across all of their operations, and a mere 26% of those have access to real-time data. This lack of real-time insight hinders forward-thinking decision-making, impacting everything from process improvement and staffing to cost reduction.

“By not being able to have real time insight into data, it really puts them at a disadvantage when it comes to forward thinking – improving processes, looking at staffing, helping to reduce cost – because everything that they’re looking at is not real-time.”
–Kelly Lucas

Without immediate visibility into performance, labs are often reactive, addressing issues only after they’ve impacted turnaround time, strained resources, or incurred expenses.

Addressing Core Challenges: Workflows, Staffing, and Cost

The primary challenges facing laboratory leaders – inefficient workflows, persistent staffing shortages, and relentless cost pressures – have remained consistent over recent years. Making the best use of existing technical staff is crucial, especially in an environment where labor constraints make it challenging to keep up with varying workloads throughout the day and across different testing areas. Furthermore, controlling costs remains an everyday priority – healthcare and laboratory leaders are faced with the challenge of lowering costs across the board while still driving additional value.

Strategic Asset vs. Ancillary Service

To truly overcome these challenges and drive innovation, labs must transition from being viewed as an ancillary service to being recognized as a strategic asset within the healthcare system. This means bringing the lab to the forefront and highlighting the immense value it delivers in driving patient care and supporting the financial performance of the organization.

“Viewing the lab as a strategic asset really means that labs need to bring themselves from being an ancillary service, or a ‘nice to have,’ to really being at the forefront as an essential service. We are a ‘must have’ and we are helping drive patient care.”
–Kelly Lucas

hc1 approaches lab optimization comprehensively, focusing on both strategy and operations. Our Strategic Advisory team helps executives understand various opportunities and their complex financial implications, while our Operations Management team assists in executing those strategies. This dual focus ensures that large-picture financial goals are supported by efficient day-to-day operations.

Optimizing Supply Chain Management

Along with labor expenses, supply chain costs have become a significant area of focus for healthcare systems, having increased rapidly in recent years. Healthcare expenses are outpacing inflation, and lab expenses specifically are increasing at an even faster rate. Effective supply chain management in the lab is therefore crucial for operational and financial health.

hc1 has a team of experts dedicated to healthcare supply chain management who work to help clients save significantly on lab supply, equipment, and reference testing costs. Our team leverages lab expertise, proprietary benchmarking, skilled negotiation, and strong vendor relationships built on trust, to secure the best possible prices for clients.

The Power of a Comprehensive Platform and Expertise

hc1 offers a comprehensive solution that combines both technology and advisory services to address the multifaceted needs of the laboratory. Across the platform, several key solutions are:

  • hc1 Performance Analytics, which provides real-time visibility into volume, turnaround time, spend, and productivity
  • hc1 Service Advantage, which enables resolution of quality and service issues, along with trending data on performance
  • hc1 Workforce Optimization, which uses AI and machine learning to provide volume projections and staffing recommendations, based on historical volumes and HRIS data
  • hc1 Sendout Management, which provides a single view of all reference testing to analyze cost, volumes, and turnaround time performance

Complementing the technology is our team of experienced laboratorians who act as trusted advisors, helping clients achieve significant results.

“We can’t just focus on the technology component. It takes a combination of all three: people, process, and technology. I think it’s important to note that hc1 is not just an analytics platform, we’re not just technology, and we’re not just a group of consultants coming in to complete a project. We are a comprehensive solution that is able to deliver across all the needs of the laboratory.”
–Jennifer Maxwell

The Journey to Continued Excellence

Operational excellence in the lab is not a destination, but an ongoing journey. Labs that prioritize this journey, leveraging data and embracing change, become more efficient, effective, and better equipped to handle challenges. The future of lab operations will undoubtedly involve increased adoption of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and further innovation. By focusing on operational excellence, health systems and clinical laboratory leaders can not only improve financial performance but also enhance patient outcomes, reinforcing the lab’s critical role as the cornerstone of healthcare.

Through the effective utilization of real-time analytics and automation, labs can optimize quality and service, reduce cost, and increase efficiency – all without increasing staff workload. To learn more about hc1’s suite of Operational Excellence solutions, watch our recent webinar on-demand.

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Katie Benyo has almost twenty years of experience in healthcare and performance improvement. As Vice President of hc1’s Lab Operational Excellence pillar, she assumes an executive leadership role focused on the Go To Market strategy for this portfolio of solutions. Prior to joining hc1 in 2016, Katie was most recently a Senior Performance Improvement Specialist for a multi-institutional healthcare system. She holds a Bachelor’s in Community Health from the University of Illinois, and a Master of Health Administration from Saint Louis University. She is a NAHQ-Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ), an ASQ-Certified Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB), a TeamSTEPPS Master Trainer through AHRQ, and holds a Certificate in Laboratory Quality Management Systems from CLSI. A thought leader in her field, Katie has given over 90 podium presentations, webinars, guest lectures, etc. on healthcare performance improvement, and she has published nine articles on related topics.