North Kansas City Hospital

Sean Tucker

In this feature with Healthcare Tech Outlook, Sean Tucker, Laboratory Director at North Kansas City Hospital, discusses the dynamics of innovative technology, laboratory services and healthcare staffing in delivering quality patient care.

Can you give us a sneak peek into your background, professional journey and day-to-day roles as the Director of Laboratory Services at North Kansas City Hospital?

Sean Tucker is a highly experienced medical laboratory scientist, board certified through the American Society of Clinical Pathology. He completed his training, including clinical training, at the University of Kansas Medical Center. With a strong foundation in medical laboratory science, Sean further enhanced his qualifications by earning a Master's in Business Administration with a healthcare emphasis from Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri.

Sean began his career in the hospital laboratory environment, working as a generalist on both day and night shifts for several years. This hands-on experience provided him with a deep understanding of laboratory operations and the intricacies of clinical diagnostics. After obtaining his MBA, Sean transitioned into laboratory operations management, where he has excelled in optimizing processes and improving efficiencies.

Throughout his two-decade-long career, Sean has witnessed and adapted to significant changes within the laboratory field. His comprehensive background, combining clinical expertise with advanced business acumen, has positioned him as a leader in laboratory operations, continually driving innovation in the industry.

Currently, he is the Laboratory Director at North Kansas City Hospital, an independent community hospital. In his role, Tucker oversees the quality of analytical testing for clinical and anatomic pathology and maintains accreditation under the College of American Pathology, which involves biennial inspections, proficiency testing and a comprehensive quality management system. He manages staff productivity, hiring, department finances and laboratory test volumes, ensuring equipment readiness and introducing new assays and technologies to adapt to changing demands, such as those experienced during the pandemic.

What are some of the prominent challenges in healthcare analytics today?

The shift from a fee-for-service reimbursement system to diagnosis-related group (DRG) codes has significantly impacted laboratory finances, necessitating a new approach to managing inpatient and outpatient services. Laboratories are expanding outreach services to maximize revenue and acquire new assays and testing capabilities. Concurrently, utilization of inpatient testing is crucial due to limited reimbursement that requires technological and educational initiatives to ensure appropriate testing. This helps manage expenses, reduce patient length of stay and produce optimal outcomes.

The pandemic has exacerbated staffing challenges, with burnout leading many medical laboratory scientists and histotechnologists to become travelers. The reduction in training programs has further strained the workforce, with about half of medical laboratory science programs closing over the past three decades. As approximately 30,000 scientists retire and only 10,000 new graduates enter the field, this persisting shortage compounds the maintenance of testing capabilities.

To address these challenges, hospitals are investing in robotic automation, AI and advanced laboratory information systems. These technologies enhance efficiency and productivity with auto-verification of results to process high volumes of tests. Since quality remains a top priority, thorough validation of new technologies is essential. Automation will play a vital role in handling increased testing volumes as the availability of trained scientists diminishes due to retirement and burnout.

Is there any recent initiative or program that you have implemented at your facility to tackle these challenges?

North Kansas City Hospital has strategically invested in robotic automation to enhance pre-analytic and analytic integration in laboratory testing, focusing on chemistry and coagulation. We plan to automate urinalysis and hematology testing. During the pandemic, it introduced new automation technologies to expand molecular testing for coronavirus, flu, RSV and strep, while accommodating microorganism diagnostics and genomic testing. The hospital also implemented positive patient identification scanners to expedite lab collections and venipuncture, improving patient safety with accurate individual labeling at the bedside. Using these new technologies has not only allowed it to be more efficient and economical but improved patient care.

To address staffing challenges, it developed a "Grow Our Own" program, including on-the-job training for entry-level phlebotomy positions and a 12-month histotechnology program for individuals with an associate’s degree or higher. Graduates are eligible for board certification from the American Society of Clinical Pathology. Now the hospital offers a 10-month clinical training program for medical laboratory science in partnership with 13 regional universities, admitting eight students annually. This program serves as the fourth year of a Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science, with all students achieving board certification and employment before graduation.

Part of the goal is to ensure that people understand the role of the laboratory. North Kansas City provide training programs in medical assistance, radiology, pharmacy, respiratory therapy and a substantial nursing training program. A notable component is the three-hour graduate nurse training program, where nurses rotate through the laboratory, enhancing their proficiency in laboratory testing and fostering improved interdepartmental collaboration between nursing and laboratory staff.

What are some technology trends or strategies that healthcare leaders should consider in the next 12 to 18 months?

Staffing challenges drive focus on continuous expansion and robotic automation and enhance efficiencies, particularly in molecular testing. New molecular assays enable microorganism identification and genomic testing for rare diseases, extending advanced diagnostics to moderate and low-complexity laboratories, clinics and doctor’s offices.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is also a hot topic. Even in laboratory operations, integrating AI through the building of rules helps identify and categorize testing results. A prime example is the use of AI in visually analyzing white blood cells on a blood smear, with scientists validating the computer-generated results. This integration has been in use for several years and I believe that in the next 10 to 15 years will expand into histology or anatomic pathology, not to replace our pathologists who are doing cancer diagnostics but to assist them. AI aids in expediting diagnosis and treatment by pre-scanning slides and prioritizing cases based on potential severity.

What advice do you have for aspiring professionals and established leaders to navigate these challenges and keep up with industry trends?

In healthcare, the imperative of continuous learning cannot be overstated. Professionals must stay abreast of technological advancements and industry trends, often working through numerous magazines and online journals across various specialties. This ongoing education is crucial not only for staying updated within one’s specialty but for understanding developments in other departments and disciplines to collectively enhance patient care outcomes.

Another essential element for success in healthcare is creative thinking. Science tends to think creatively and experiment on different things. However, the regulatory constraints make it hard to work outside black-and-white opportunities that focus strictly on accreditation requirements and best patient care outcomes. Creativity is vital in addressing staffing challenges, securing funding and exploring new avenues for expanding patient care, particularly for vulnerable populations. Innovation is necessary to ensure healthcare equity across diverse socioeconomic backgrounds amid these challenging times.

Lastly, effective healthcare leadership requires a leader with an open heart. Embracing a servant leadership style, which emphasizes an empathetic approach, is critical for addressing the needs of patients, their families and the healthcare staff. Leaders must move gracefully and place themselves in others' shoes to learn from uncomfortable situations and foster growth. As the healthcare environment becomes increasingly diverse, they must adapt to more varied environments and understand generational differences in technology adoption with an open mind and heart.