About

United WestLabs Hospital-Based Lab Outreach Program

United WestLabs, Inc. (“UWL”) is a health care service company that implements and manages turn-key hospital-based, laboratory outreach Programs.  The company has developed and refined a very successful, proprietary business model, handling all the pre-analytical and post-analytical service functions relating to the implementation and operation of these profitable Programs. The management team implemented its first hospital-based laboratory Program over twenty-six years ago and has successfully operated more hospital-based lab outreach Programs than any organization in the country.

Key Components of a United WestLabs Program

  • UWL has proven track record and has successfully implemented, operated, and sold over 30 hospital-based lab outreach programs, in Arizona, Nevada, California, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Texas, and Virginia.
  • UWL employs over 300 dedicated, full time employees, providing onsite management and operations (sales, phlebotomy, processing, ordering, logistics, customer service, EMR connectivity, IT support, etc.).
  • UWL is the only lab services company in America, with its own, fully-staffed, specialized, hospital lab billing unit dedicated to billing, collections, finance, and compliance.
  • UWL is able to invest capital and imports lab outreach infrastructure and systems valued at over $1.5 million per system.
  • UWL hospital clients can gain new lab profits of $1-10 million annually, and lower lab costs by as much as 30%.

 

History

We have 26+ years of experience with diverse hospital systems including large urban academic medical systems, multi state IDNs and small community based medical systems. We have managed over $5.5 Billion in clinical diagnostic testing integrated with all major hospital Laboratory Information Systems and physician EHR’s.

Our Services

Outreach Program

United WestLabs currently operates numerous programs in California, Texas, New York and Virginia that are considered some of the most successful hospital-based outreach lab Programs in the country. UWL and its Affiliates are currently leveraging its management team and resources to expand these Programs on a national basis.

UWL will manage the operations and handle all pre-analytical and post-analytical functions such as marketing and client service support, IT connectivity, phlebotomy, specimen handling, processing, order entry, pick-up, delivery, billing, compliance and all non-testing functions.

 

Turn-Key Outreach Program Benefits

To Hospitals

Hospital laboratories are often considered one of the Hospital’s more significant cost centers. As part of a Hospital’s commitment to quality patient care, it must maintain its laboratory operations 24 hours per day, seven days a week to perform the necessary testing for the Hospital’s inpatient population. The capital cost to equip, staff and maintain these clinical laboratory facilities is exceedingly high; and at most Hospitals, these facilities are an underutilized resource. Most Hospitals have excess capacity and the incremental costs to run additional tests are minimal, primarily involving the additional costs for reagents and supplies.

  • UWL has demonstrated that Hospitals can generate substantial profits utilizing their lab facilities during the “non-peak” periods.
  • In collaboration with UWL, a typical Hospital can turn its traditional laboratory from a cost center into a significant revenue center within its first year of operation.
  • UWL Outreach Programs not only generate significant revenue and profits for the Hospital but also create operational efficiencies and improve inpatient testing as well.
  • The UWL management team has already been through the difficult “learning curve”, which greatly improves the opportunity for success of these outreach initiatives.

 

To Doctors

From the perspective of a community physician, who regularly contracts for lab services, the advantages of the program are as follows:

  • A program enables physicians to deal with “their Hospital”, in which they already have confidence, with a “known” pathologist, who is likely to be a personal friend or a professional colleague.
  • It allows physicians to support the Hospital with which they are affiliated rather than contribute additional profits to an outside commercial vendor.
  • In most cases, physicians have on-line access from their office to all test results performed at the Hospital lab for the patient, thereby consolidating that patient’s test results.
  • Physicians are able to maintain consistency in correlating results between inpatients and outpatients, using the same set of reference ranges.

 

Why Hospital Laboratory Outreach Works for Hospitals

  • UWL programs leverage the underutilized but significant hospital laboratory assets.
  • Increased volume from UWL programs improves lab efficiency & performance to often exceed productivity standards (RVU’s).
  • Lab outreach programs establish a significant, sustainable, and profitable new line of business.
  • There is a significant opportunity to improve physician relations as well as exposure to potential attendings with lab outreach.

UWL Outreach Programs

UWL’s Solutions for Successful Lab Outreach Programs

Business Development Operations Customer Service Billing Compliance
Sales Force Management Program Management MD Relationship Management Lab Specific UB04 Billing System Compliance Officer and Team
MD Practice Inservice Phlebotomy Supply Ordering Claims Review and Submission Claims Review and Audit
Compliance Guides and Monitoring Specimen Processing and Order Entry Billing Support: Doctors and Patients Compliance Review and Audit Maintain and Update Compliance Plan
Field Reps Support Logistics: Couriers and Vehicles Test Support and Problem Resolution Payment Posting Specialized Medicare Medicaid unit
Maintain Customer Info Data Base EMR IT Training, Implementation and Support In-Service Training – Recurring Electronic Claims Submission Dx Confirmation and Screening
Market Pricing and Contracting Draw Stations Leasing and Staffing STAT Testing Service Financial Review Cost/Revenue Analysis Eligibility and Identity Verification
Marketing Plan Site Audits and Staff Competencies Technical Support Document Collection and Assembly Sales and Marketing Compliance

UWL Employs, Implements and Manages Lab Outreach Operations

Centralized Operations

Local Operations

Outreach Program Stuctures

Management Services Agreement

  • Comprehensive, “hands-on” solution provides:
  • Program management
  • Staffing of pre- and post-analytical functions
  • IT and operations infrastructure
  • Operational leadership of lab outreach with hospital oversight
Outreach Program Joint Venture

  • Entity (LLC, Partnership, etc.) jointly formed and owned and operated on a pro-rata basis by Hospital & UWL
  • Invests capital for expansion, and both parties contribute certain tangible and intangible assets
  • Profits and losses shared on a pro-rata basis