Jane Hermansen Discusses Empowering Lab Leaders in Medical Laboratory Observer

By Kelley Luedke • September 6, 2017

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Jane Hermansen, Network Manager at Mayo Medical Laboratories in Rochester, Minnesota, and current President of the Clinical Laboratory Medicine Association (CLMA), recently participated in an interview featured in Medical Laboratory Observer on empowering laboratory leaders to achieve excellence.

In the interview, Ms. Hermansen discusses the mission of CLMA, benefits of a CLMA membership for laboratorians, and what role CLMA plays in the& continuing education of laboratorians. According to Hermansen, the CLMA Body of Knowledge is the driving force behind all CLMA education. It identifies 10 areas of management responsibility and the necessary skills needed to become an exceptional laboratory leader.

"Using the Body of Knowledge, I have been able to identify areas of professional growth across the 10 domains and then been able to focus on those areas through CLMA webinars, Body of Knowledge webinars, and in-person each year at the KnowledgeLab conference," said Hermansen.

In the interview, Hermansen also discusses CLMA's role  as a public advocate with legislators and regulators and how outreach can help labs remain financially healthy in these uncertain times. According to Hermansen, outreach is the mechanism that enables integration of laboratory information within the health care system. Without the diversity of testing and volumes that come from an outreach program, a hospital-based laboratory will have a less robust test menu and be more expensive on a per-unit basis. Outreach testing brings additional volumes, which lower the overall unit cost.

When asked what an emerging challenge will be to the industry within the next five years, Hermansen commented on the challenge of communicating the value of laboratory testing.

"We must be able to communicate a message about laboratory testing that goes beyond 'lab' and demonstrates how the laboratory impacts overall patient care. Lab testing plays a significant role in managing wellness, supporting preventative care, selecting precision diagnostics, and driving therapeutics and ongoing monitoring. At less than five cents on the health care dollar, our industry’s value far outweighs the cost. We must be diligent in communicating that value," said Hermansen.

Read the full interview.

Kelley Luedke

Kelley Luedke is a Marketing Channel Manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories. She is the principle editor and writer of Insights and leads social media and direct marketing strategy. Kelley has worked at Mayo Clinic since 2013. Outside of work, you can find Kelley running, traveling, playing with her kitty, and exploring new foods.