Have you ever wondered what it takes to be an efficient healthcare provider? Or what aspects constitute to make a healthcare service not only functional but also one which nurtures and improves the quality of life of individuals?
Cheyenne Regional Medical Center is here to answer these crucial questions for you. Founded in the year 1867 in the state of Wyoming, Cheyenne Regional has an extensive experience in providing laboratory services that foster overall individual and community health.
Kerry Ruadil, the Laboratory Director of Cheyenne Medical Center briefs us in the following interview about the core values of the Laboratory that make it an efficient healthcare provider successfully delivering comprehensive services even in times like the current pandemic.
Please brief our audience about your organization, its values, and the key aspects of its stronghold within the Clinical Laboratories services space.
Cheyenne Regional is a 206-bed hospital with 2,000 + employees, 200+ volunteers and 170+ medical staff. Cheyenne Regional inspires great health, putting service before self, our family cares for your family with compassion, experience, and innovation. Cheyenne Regional’s Laboratory Department maintains the largest, 24/7/365 reference laboratory in the state of Wyoming with more than 80 clients throughout Wyoming and neighboring states.
The laboratory has a very active Blood Bank department supporting the hospital as a Trauma level 3 Center (ACS). Our microbiology department boasts molecular testing platforms and actively participates in the antibiotic stewardship and infection control initiatives of the hospital.
More than 97% of laboratory tests are performed in-house providing faster turn-around-time. Our laboratory testing equipment are updated and top-of-the-line, offering an extensive testing menu. Our Laboratory staff all together bring 314 years of experience, they are recipients of awards within the hospital and pride themselves in having great customer service.
Tell us more about your organization’s services that make you stand out from the competition?
Aside from Cheyenne Regional’s Laboratory service, the hospital was also designated as a Regional Trauma Center by the Wyoming Department of Health and the first hospital in Wyoming verified as a Regional Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons (ACS).
Cheyenne Regional is among the top 8% of hospitals nationwide to provide cardiac patients with angioplasties within 90 minutes of entering the Emergency Department. Cheyenne Regional offers award-winning orthopedic services.
Cheyenne Regional’s Radiology and Imaging department comprehensive center offers state-of-the art testing procedures. Cheyenne Regional offers a full service state-of-the-art 36- bed Emergency Department.
Our cardiopulmonary department was ranked among the top 10% of hospitals nationwide and was a recipient of a Pulmonary Care Excellence Award TM.
Kerry, please brief us about you and your journey in the healthcare industry.
I started out as a pre-med student studying Medical Technology in the Philippines. After graduating from my bachelor’s degree, I found myself in the academia, teaching in the College of Arts and Sciences while pursuing my master’s degree.
My Master’s thesis was accepted for presentation at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and I was awarded a grant to present in Seattle, Washington in 2004.
Since Laboratory Science is my passion, I pursued opportunities in the US. One of my relatives referred me to Cheyenne Regional Medical Center and so I applied to one of the laboratory technologist positions, I was fortunately selected by Cheyenne Regional in 2007 and had gone through the work visa process to get authorized to work in the US.
I started out as a generalist on evening shift, moved to night shift and then to dayshift where I was offered the Chemistry Department Lead position. I was then promoted to a Laboratory Supervisor, to a Laboratory Manager and to my current position as the Laboratory Director.
What is your opinion on the impact of the current pandemic on the global healthcare sector, and how has your company fared during the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns?
The pandemic has affected every aspect of the healthcare sector, but most notably the financial aspect and the delivery of care. The loss of revenue and extensive cost of providing health care in turn impacts patient care, surgeries, and surgical outcomes. The world was ill-prepared for this pandemic: most hospitals faced staffing challenges and were short on most supplies.
Cheyenne Regional is fortunate enough to have strong organizational leaders who kept us afloat during these hard times. We were able to keep our employees employed, while being able to give them their yearly merit increases. We have dedicated and engaged staff who recognized that we need to work together to get through the pandemic and went above and beyond. The covid measures that the organization instituted has kept both our staff and patients safe.
In your opinion, what could be the future of the clinical laboratories services sector post the pandemic?
I think that the Laboratory has always played a crucial role in patient care and this pandemic has magnified that. We thought we were getting a handle on this pandemic, but the increasing number of cases say otherwise. I think that the laboratory needs to be able to adapt quickly and be prepared for increased testing volumes due to the pandemic.
Guided by past experiences, organizational strategic plans and data, the laboratory would be able to map out courses of action for future pandemics, like broader testing platforms and menus, more staffing capabilities, and better supply acquisition and management.
As an established leader, what would be your advice to the budding entrepreneurs and enthusiasts aspiring to venture into healthcare space?
I think that healthcare is a very dynamic industry but at the same time a very competitive one. In this age of consumerism, consumers will pick the best one that fits their needs. I would say that one needs to have the passion to work for patients – this will lead to innovation, quality care and quest for excellence.
How do you envision on scaling your organization’s operations in 2021?
I would like to have more testing capabilities in house and have a resource pool of employees who can be mobilized when staffing needs arise. I would like to look into a laboratory inventory management system.
