Saw this press release yesterday that looks interesting.  Admittedly I do not know much about CBLPath beyond what I saw on their website.  It seems they are a national subspecialty laboratory independent of a clinical facility associated with the laboratory.  While news such as this always seems exciting I often wonder how one gets from diagnosis through integrated diagnostics to personalized treatment at a distance from the bedside.  I am not being critical of the effort but certainly to do so from a free standing laboratory merging data and integrating that information without the convenience of "next door" communications and outcomes analysis seems like a challenge particularly in an effort to reduce redundancy with potential information being obtained from, resulted from and reported to numerous physicians and health care settings.  The flip side is with such models is that local pathologists and physicians may have access to many sources of disparate data that may be able to integrate in the care of an individual patient.

Look forward to seeing where this may go.

RYE BROOK, NY -- 05/17/10 -- CBLPath today announced the creation of its new Department of Integrated Diagnostics under the direction of Madeline Vazquez, M.D., who is based at the company's Manhattan Reading Station in New York City.

This new department provides a convergence of laboratory diagnostics, medical imaging and digital medicine solutions, resulting in improved patient care from diagnosis and prognosis through to treatment.

"By integrating electronic patient information from the laboratory and imaging systems, the process of diagnosis becomes faster and patient care becomes more cost effective, with a reduced possibility of redundant testing," said William W. Curtis, CBLPath Chairman and CEO. "The creation of our Integrated Diagnostics department is just one more way that CBLPath is providing novel solutions to support the convergence in the pathology market."

Chief Medical Officer Carlos D. Urmacher, M.D. concurs that the focus of this new offering is clearly on the patient. "Anatomic pathology is changing and the role of the pathologist is becoming more 'patient-centric,' moving the field beyond proficient diagnostic reporting to advanced integrated reporting," he said.

Although sharing similar aims with CBLPath's existing Histology and Cytology Departments, the Integrated Diagnostics Department will function independently with specific goals, objectives and expectations set forth by Dr. Vazquez in concert with the leadership of the laboratory, the Medical Department and Dr. Urmacher, who tapped Vazquez for her leadership ability and initiative.

"Under the direction of Dr. Vazquez over the past year, CBLPath's small reading station in Manhattan has experienced tremendous growth and exhibits great potential for expansion and achievement," Dr. Urmacher said. "We anticipate that this growth pattern as led by Dr. Vazquez will continue on with our Integrated Diagnostics Department."

Dr. Vazquez is well renowned and respected nationally and internationally for being at the forefront of her field. Prior to joining CBLPath, she was the Chief of Cytopathology at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell. She pursued her specialty training in the Aspiration Biopsy Services of New York University Medical Center and the Karolinska Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden.

In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Vazquez actively participates in a number of professional societies and organizations. She is a Committee Member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology/International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (ASCO/IASLC) Consensus Conference on Bronchoalveolar Cell Carcinoma, a Member of the Steering Committee of the International Early Lung Cancer Action Program (I-ELCAP), a Contributor to the World Health Organization (WHO) Classification of Tumors, and an ELCAP Cytologist of the International Consensus on Screening for Lung Cancer.

Dr. Vazquez has served as guest lecturer at many national and international conferences and she is the author of numerous peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and abstracts.

About CBLPath
CBLPath is a national specialty lab offering a full convergence of anatomic, molecular and digital pathology services. The company provides a one-stop solution for comprehensive sub-specialized diagnostics, and timely, accurate, patient-centered disease management guidance. Through its Best Practice™ Partnership Program, CBLPath partners with pathologists to help them grow their practices, while giving them the ability to stay independent and "keep medicine local." The company also provides sub-specialty physicians access to comprehensive, high-quality testing in their local market. Founded in 1988, CBLPath established a reputation for providing timely, highly accurate diagnoses along with extraordinary customer service and a true patient-centered commitment. For more about the company, please visit http://www.CBLPath.com.