LabCorp 2007 Annual Report Download - page 11

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Laboratory Corporation of America® Holdings 2007 9
Litholink Kidney Stone Model
Kidney stones not only are painful; they cost
$2 billion a year to treat. The Litholink Kidney
Stone Program is a cycle of testing and treat-
ment recommendations that provides physi-
cians and patients with actionable data to
improve outcomes. The program reduces stone
recurrence by 80 percent and reduces costs per
patient by $2,000. Litholink is a model for kid-
ney stone treatment, as well as for how clinical
laboratory testing can solve health care issues.
We anticipate expanding this model to Chronic
Kidney Disease
in mid-2008 and
additional pro-
grams over the
coming years.
Investment in Protedyne technology
is one of several initiatives that we
are pursuing to enhance the level of
efficiency in our clinical lab facilities.
This efficiency not only can enhance
profitability, but also enhance our
customer relationships by providing
more timely service.
In order to test more than 400,000
specimens for over 220,000 custom-
ers on a daily basis, the science of
efficiency is almost as important
as the science of medicine. Indeed,
our volume-driven business model
demands a fi ne balance of high-tech
and high-touch in order to provide
physicians and patients with timely
and accurate results. Accordingly,
LabCorp’s customer service commit-
ment capitalizes on both the automated
effi ciencies of technology and the
personalized actions of our workforce.
We are investing heavily in automa-
tion enhancements at every phase
of the testing process. Protedyne
technology, for example, combines
powerful robotic hardware with
customized software to automate
preanalytical processes in the lab.
Deployment of these robots in labs
to date has led to a reduction in
preanalytical errors, improved
turnaround time and cost savings.
We are currently automating our
HPV lines in all laboratories, utilizing
Protedyne robotics and should be
completed by the end of the year.
On the front lines of our business,
we are piloting automated kiosks in
patient service centers to streamline
the check-in process and improve
wait times. Our goal is always to
complement this customer-facing
automation with a customer-centric
workforce. We must never lose sight
of the very personal nature of our
business. Our success is dependent
upon the results that our scientists
and technicians provide behind-the-
scenes, as well as the service that
our couriers, phlebotomists and
account service representatives
deliver in person to our physicians
and patients.