To Consolidate or Network: For Laboratories, That's the Question

Consolidation lowers operating expenses, a factor crucial in remaining competitive. But it cannot directly offset the losses that stem from the ongoing decline in the volume of inpatient testing as more health care services move to the ambulatory clinic arena. Networking, in contrast, allows laboratories to exploit the fixed cost aspects of their business by increasing volume, but it cannot bring down operating expenses enough to make members competitive with highly efficient independent reference la

by Wendy Diller and Deborah Erickson

When St. Louis neighbors Barnes Hospital and Jewish Hospital merged nearly four years ago, forming the foundation of what has...

Read the full article – start your free trial today!

Join thousands of industry professionals who rely on In Vivo for daily insights

  • Start your 7-day free trial
  • Explore trusted news, analysis, and insights
  • Access comprehensive global coverage
  • Enjoy instant access – no credit card required

More from Business Strategy

AI In Biologics Discovery: The Expensive Bet On Unproven Promise

 
• By 

Despite limited evidence of commercial impact, pharmaceutical companies are making massive strategic investments in AI biologics platforms. The question isn't whether the technology shows promise; it's whether that promise can translate to measurable business results.

Turning Defense Into Attack: Snapshots Of A Changing Medtech Market And How To Respond

 
• By 

Against a backdrop of shifting trade policies, the end of multilateral market approaches and renewed focus on supply chain resilience, medtechs are doubling down on innovation in products and processes – using AI – and keeping unmet needs and outcomes in the center of the target.

AI Agents Set To Reshape Biopharma’s Workforce And Operations

 
• By 

While biopharma companies experiment with genAI, agentic AI is rapidly shifting the work paradigm towards one of autonomous digital workers that can handle entire process flows.

Mapping Biopharma’s AI Strategy: From Custom Datasets to Foundation Models

 
• By 

Biotech companies are pursuing diverse AI strategies beyond expensive custom data generation: foundation model fine-tuning, data-efficient computational methods and targeted proprietary datasets. In Vivo takes a look at some examples.

More from In Vivo

AI In Biologics Discovery: The Expensive Bet On Unproven Promise

 
• By 

Despite limited evidence of commercial impact, pharmaceutical companies are making massive strategic investments in AI biologics platforms. The question isn't whether the technology shows promise; it's whether that promise can translate to measurable business results.

Kris Joshi Named Norstella CEO, Prioritizes AI Innovation

 
• By 

Joshi joins the parent company of Citeline, which houses flagship publications In Vivo, Scrip and Pink Sheet, to focus on AI, business harmonization and long-term growth.

Deals Shaping The Industry, June 2025

 
• By 

An interactive look at pharma, medtech and diagnostics deals made during June 2025. Data courtesy of Biomedtracker.