Scope of Our Consulting Services

Health Care Development Services, Inc. is a strategic planning and business development management consulting firm. Our practice began in 1981, and we have represented over 350 hospitals, healthcare systems, and pathology groups regarding laboratory and pathology issues.

The HCDS staff consists of medical technologists, histotechnologists, cytotechnologists, Ph.D.s, pathologists, and general management personnel with advanced degrees in either business administration or health services.

Over the course of our 30+ years in practice, our clients have asked us to help them evaluate difficult, sometimes thorny issues. A summary of the range of our consulting services is described below.

Client Projects/Services

The scope of HCDS assignments has included a diverse set of operational, organizational, market, and financial issues as shown below.

  • Assessment of Laboratory Operations and Organization
    Detailed review of comparative staffing, productivity, financial performance, user satisfaction, operations, and organizational relationships with recommendations for improved effectiveness.
  • Multi-Hospital Laboratory Integration
    Financial feasibility, evaluation, and implementation assistance for developing integrated laboratory systems.
  • Pathology Group Arrangements
    Review of pathology group operational and organizational performance. Evaluation of contractual arrangements between hospitals and pathology groups. Assessment of pathology group succession plans and opportunities for new practice models.
  • Laboratory Transition ManagementSM
    Interim assistance to implement change. Working with client laboratory directors and hospital administration, the on-site HCDS staff helps work through difficult operational and organizational issues.
  • LabTrendsSM Hospital Laboratory Comparative Program
    Hospital laboratory benchmarking system to measure service level, productivity, test utilization, and financial performance.
  • Outreach Program Profitability Analysis
    Evaluation, and analysis to determine the profitability of outreach laboratory services based on current and projected market, competitive, and reimbursement environments.
  • Joint-Venture and Collaborative Laboratories
    Assessment of business opportunities to create joint venture arrangements to provide multi-institutional laboratory services.