A Conversation With LIS System Administrator Kristie Becerra

Learning to share is an important part of growing up. It’s a concept that teaches the values of compromise, fairness, and cooperation. In this context, sharing is universally accepted as a good practice because it strengthens social ties and a person’s well-being. 

Sharing then, in general, is a good thing and should be encouraged, but what about sharing mission-critical laboratory information system (LIS) software with another healthcare organization? 

As one might expect, this type of arrangement can be fraught with issues, especially when sharing access and control. 

That was the case for Pathology Consultants, a multi-subspecialty independent pathology practice that has served Oregon’s western medical community since 1932. Before November 2021, the group with nine pathologists had been providing diagnostic pathology services to patients and providers in the region while sharing a laboratory information system with another group affiliated with the same health system.

What follows is a discussion with Kristie Becerra, LIS System Administrator at Pathology Consultants. Here she describes what lab life was like before partnering with LigoLab, an LIS company specializing in the development of diagnostic lab software and modern medical laboratory solutions for independent clinical laboratories and pathology groups. 

During our conversation, Becerra, whose career with Pathology Consultants spans over 20 years, shares in detail how implementing LigoLab’s advanced lab information system platform has turned a challenging situation for the pathology practice into an opportunity to venture out independently, gain the desired control of the business, and improve both lab workflow and productivity. 

What key factors prompted a move away from a shared LIS System and toward the LigoLab platform?

We were interested because at the time we shared our LIS system with another PeaceHealth-affiliated pathology group. They hosted much of the backend, including servers and IT support, which limited our authority and control over the system.

Eventually, we learned that PeaceHealth was planning to replace the LIS system with another one. At that point, we had to go along with them or go off on our own. That’s when the final decision was made to venture out independently. 

Why LigoLab - why was it the best laboratory information system for your group?

We chose LigoLab because we wanted the ability to do everything in one flexible laboratory information system. 

The old LIS system was solely an anatomic pathology LIS, but despite that limitation, we were still running some clinical tests. We saw bringing in more clinical tests as a growth opportunity and needed a laboratory information system that could support that desired growth.

What was the implementation experience like for you and other staffers?

There was a bit of a divide at first, as you would expect with such a significant operational change. Some thought it was very exciting, and others were more resistant. 

I welcomed the advanced pathology lab software platform because it helped us learn, streamline processes, and lift quality. With LigoLab in place, we’re stronger. Staff flag issues early, and we’re now capable of fixing them. Our communication has also improved alongside the technology.

What are some examples of successful business growth since going live with LigoLab’s informatics platform in 2021?

We added three different PCR tests, a new platform, and a new reporting style, and were able to custom-develop that with the help of LigoLab’s support team. 

The tests support our anatomic pathology department. As an example, when we diagnose cancer, sometimes there's additional testing that needs to be done to determine the course of treatment.

Before LigoLab, those tests went to outside labs. Tracking volume proved it was smarter financially to run them ourselves. Results now come back faster, clinicians facilitate treatment decisions sooner, and we use scarce tumor tissue more efficiently.

We work with a large oncology group (Willamette Valley Cancer Center) that serves the whole state of Oregon. Many of their patients travel long distances to see them. They’re a major part of our business, and we’re committed to supporting them and that program, which is another reason why we added more clinical testing.

How else has your business improved since partnering with LigoLab?

We have a large volume of dermatopathology cases, and before LigoLab, our two dermatopathologists who take turns covering that service were putting in long days. 

When we switched to LigoLab, those two were ripe for any kind of efficiency improvements.  The switch to LigoLab allowed a significant improvement in dermatopathology efficiency.

We utilized the LigoLab platform to connect the micro-diagnosis to the final diagnosis and automatically attach the CPT and ICD-10 codes. We also created a ton of templates for them. There was a learning curve, but as we got them going, they started to see the value in it.

They were the first of our pathologists to experience the benefits of the new LIS system, and they openly say they would not be able to get through our volume of derms without this system. They now finish their work at a decent time, working regular hours even when a day’s volume is higher than normal. 

On the coding side, before LigoLab, we checked every single case and every test that we ran. We looked at the results documentation and the codes before manually applying them to each case. 

Now the audit review process for coding has been significantly streamlined. Instead of reviewing every single case, we audit only a few areas to confirm that the coding is populated and matches the diagnosis.

We've also utilized the flexible reporting options in LigoLab, which enable us to offer clients very customized reports. We’re now able to pull information from the LIS system and create dynamic reports that we can distribute to them. 

This has significantly helped our Health Information Management (HIM) department. Before LigoLab, they had to search for those reports manually. Now it’s just a couple of clicks, and the LigoLab platform generates the reports for them. 

Can you share more details about the templates created to assist the pathologists?

Dermatopathology can be repetitive. Take basal cell carcinoma. Our dermatopathologists may see 60 or more cases a day. The slide patterns are similar, so the description and diagnosis rarely change; only the margin sizes do.

We built templates with the exact verbiage our pathologists prefer. They click through the standard fields, then add the details specific to each biopsy.

When they enter the final diagnosis, the microscopic description auto-populates. If something needs tweaking, they jump into that section and make the edit.

This workflow is faster than reviewing the slide, dictating the microscopic, and then spell-checking the voice recognition output. Those small enhancements add up to significant time savings.

Early on, LigoLab’s support team helped create the templates. Now I’m proficient, and our HIM team and I can build them on our own.

Note: Before her current role as LIS System Administrator, Becerra served as the lab’s HIM Manager. 

How else does your pathology group use LigoLab’s LIS system platform to improve lab efficiency?

We also utilize LigoLab’s synoptic reporting feature for other anatomic pathology cases. That’s worked out very well for similar reasons. It’s a template that eliminates repetitive steps and speeds up the process. The feature also helps us hone in on the specimens that qualify for MIPS reporting, allowing us to maximize revenue for those cases. 

Now that we’re reaping the rewards with our dermpaths, our next focus will be on GI (gastrointestinal). It’s another high-volume area for us that we’d like to improve with templates now that we’ve truly seen the benefit of them. 

Our (eventual) goal is to standardize diagnostic reporting as much as possible. This has advantages for clients, pulling data becomes much easier, and it makes meeting compliance and quality standards less challenging.

What’s the biggest difference between the LigoLab platform and the previous LIS system that you were using?

For me, it’s the opportunity to customize the LIS system and have it work for us. LigoLab makes that happen. 

Has LigoLab’s support team been helpful, and can it quickly assist whenever needed?

Anytime I've communicated that I have an urgent issue, they've responded appropriately. 

Going from implementation with daily contact to a handoff to the support team was a transition for us, but LigoLab was very accommodating during the transition period. The support team responded and met our needs.

I'm perfectly comfortable with submitting a support ticket. I usually receive a response right away, saying at the very least that they’ve received the ticket and will be working on the issue. I've been pretty satisfied with the support.

How long did it take for you to become fully aware of Ligolab’s laboratory information system functions?

 I still come across things that surprise me in a good way. I often refer to the Confluence manual that accompanies the LIS software. I find that very helpful. 

Note: The Confluence manual mentioned by Becerra is embedded within the LigoLab platform, offering users easy-to-access workflow guides, reference manuals, frequently asked questions, and more. 

Do you have any final thoughts about LigoLab and how the platform has helped to enhance your business?

We’ve seen increased volumes and growth of our test menu; that's always good for business. We're happy with the product. We've had a few little things here and there, but I don't think there's anything else on the market that would satisfy us to the same extent as the LigoLab platform has.

White Paper: Vendor to Partner - How Aligning with Your LIS Provider Can Transform Your Lab

Pathology Consultants: Nine Decades of Providing Clinical and Anatomic Pathology Services to Western Oregon

Pathology Consultants is a thriving pathology practice based in Springfield, Oregon. For over 90 years, the group has provided evidence-based diagnostic pathology services to patients and providers in the region. 

PC’s pathologists have expertise in multiple subspecialty areas of pathology and routinely partner with oncologists, surgeons, and radiologists to deliver up-to-date multidisciplinary cancer care to patients from all over Oregon.

LigoLab’s All-in-One Medical LIS & Lab RCM Informatics Platform

LigoLab Informatics Platform is an all-in-one laboratory information system and laboratory revenue cycle management solution designed to help pathology groups and clinical labs digitally transform into modern, efficient organizations that are more productive and more profitable. 

The enterprise-grade LIS software platform features embedded modules for anatomic pathology, clinical pathology, molecular diagnostics, laboratory billing, and direct-to-consumer lab testing. All modules are tied together by an integrated database and software infrastructure that eliminates data silos and efficiently manages all departments and operations with maximum interoperability. 

The LigoLab platform also features powerful rule and automation engines that enable users to build custom rules that automate complex processes and improve turnaround times.

Make Your LIS a System of Action

LigoLab offers an all-in-one informatics platform with advanced automation. Contact a product specialist and request to see it in action.