The State of Laboratory Unions

Executive Summary

Hospital laboratory consolidation, underway for several years, is having mixed success as the market shifts. For suppliers, things are unlikely to settle down soon. Successful labs claim to be committed to a common vision and to swift action to institute painful changes. But other labs are stymied by politics, lack of top management support, and reluctance to make difficult decisions quickly. Manufacturers' expectations that consolidation would lead to standardization of equipment and a winner-take-all mentality are starting to come to pass. But the customer base continues to be in more flux than expected.