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ASCENSION PARTNERSHIP
Two Organizations.
One Mission.
By connecting Labcorp and Ascension, two mission-driven organizations delivering high-quality service and care, teams are equipped with information and tools to make the best decisions to address healthcare challenges and improve patient outcomes.
A strategic collaboration to tackle the biggest healthcare challenges
The partnership allows Ascension to enhance their outreach laboratory business and other offerings by using Labcorp’s scientific expertise, technology and scale in therapeutic areas such as oncology, neurology and women’s health. Ascension’s patients and clinician network also have access to Labcorp’s leading diagnostics and portfolio of innovative analytics solutions.
Planning for change
As with all partnerships, Labcorp recognized that any disruption for employees could have a negative impact on providers and, most importantly, patients. Together, HR leaders from Labcorp and Ascension created a thoughtful plan for the transition centered on one guiding principle: Minimize disruption for employees.
“Our partnership was critical from the very beginning. We were aligned in our mission to deliver the best care to Ascension patients while minimizing the disruption for providers and employees.”
Chris Bosler Senior vice president at Labcorp
Preparing for day one: Hiring successes
Healthcare worker shortages and staffing challenges continue to make headlines. Workforce hurdles were named the highest concern for hospital CEOs in the 2022 American College of Healthcare Executives annual survey.1 Executives worried about the shortages of nurses, technicians and other highly trained employees, and they cited rising costs of recruiting and retaining workers.
As Labcorp prepared to begin serving Ascension’s patients and providers, the human resources teams sent offers of employment to nearly 5,000 Ascension associates. This would be the first indication of how the companies’ strategy would perform in the face of daunting headwinds in the labor market.
Ultimately, more than 97% of Ascension associates accepted offers to join Labcorp, significantly higher than the 74% industry average retention rate.2
The Labcorp and Ascension partnership has3:
4,700
Associates onboarded with no management attrition
12,000
Physician accounts converted
4
Months earlier than expected conversion of supplies to new system
3
Minute faster wait time on average at patient service centers
400+
Sites converted
55%
Increase in patient satisfaction
687
New lab roles hired
226
Leaders successfully trained
52
Team members promoted
>30%
Reduction in employee turnover
Building momentum: Recruiting long-term
Energized by the 97% success rate, Labcorp shifted focus to long-term success, which would require three pieces:
Recruiting additional laboratory professionals to fill any gaps
Developing employees and leaders over time
Retaining talent in the face of a competitive labor market
As a leading diagnostics company, Labcorp has significant experience in recruiting some of the most difficult-to-fill positions in laboratory medicine, including cytotechnologists, histotechnologists and phlebotomists. These roles require years of training, making Labcorp’s recruiting and training pipeline a valuable resource for this partnership.
Further, Labcorp looked to develop new team members by providing training, ongoing communication and promoting legacy Ascension associates to fill newly created leadership roles.
Delivering for patients
In early public financial statements, Ascension reported marked improvements in the efficiency of workforce spend, attributed to ongoing economic improvement plans and lab outsourcing.
Both organizations knew, however, that the true success of the partnership would be measured in the impact on patient care.
“When you really concentrate on expertise and leverage a partner that owns their space, you can elevate the quality of care that you deliver. [Laboratory medicine] is Labcorp’s expertise—they are world-renowned for it—and it has been a phenomenal partnership [that] provides so much benefit to the organization and to our patients, ultimately.”
Sally Deitch, executive vice president at Ascension
“It is truly amazing to me that an undertaking of this magnitude within the healthcare sphere was completed with zero negative impact to patient care. The collective team members from Ascension and Labcorp covered every conceivable area of need along the road, working together to navigate challenges and move us forward. I have been honored to work alongside an amazing group of leaders who are walking examples of our collective patient-centered mission.”
Norman Gayle, vice president and general manager at Labcorp (former 25-year Ascension associate)
Additional insights
Leading through a lab management transition
Read this fireside chat with Lugard Igharo, regional lab director and former Ascension employee.
Labcorp and Ascension partnership reduces employee turnover
Ascension transitioned nearly 5,000 laboratory employees to Labcorp while reducing employee turnover by over 30%—and boosting lab performance.
Partnering for our patients: Fireside chat with Sally Deitch of Ascension
Hear what Ascension’s Sally Deitch has to say about the partnership with Labcorp in her fireside chat with Labcorp’s Chris Bosler.
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References
- Lagasse J. RN turnover in healthcare on the rise. Healthcarefinancenews.com. Accessed June 20, 2023. https://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/rn-turnover-healthcare-rise
- Muoio D. Workforce issues again top of mind for hospital CEOs in 2022: Survey. Fiercehealthcare.com. Accessed June 20, 2023. https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/providers/workforce-issues-again-top-mind-hospital-ceos-2022-survey
- Data as of September 2023