Leveraging the Laboratory
Leveraging the Laboratory is a Mayo Clinic podcast aimed at laboratory administrators, outreach managers, and laboratory professionals. It is hosted by Jane Hermansen, an outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, who discusses practical ways to optimize the laboratory. Episodes cover strategies for better serving patients, clients, and staff while improving laboratory operations and outreach efforts.
Episodes
Turning Client Activity Into Actionable Insights
In this episode of the “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, is joined by colleagues Wendy Daigle and Ellen Dijkman Dulkes to discuss managing client relationship health. Together, they explore:Client relationship health (01:56): Learn the basics of client relationship health and why it matters.The value of client activity
Using CRM To Grow and Retain Outreach Clients
In this episode of the “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, is joined by Susan Wentworth, administrator of Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ customer relationship management (CRM) system, to discuss the value of CRMs and share practical advice for selecting, implementing, and managing one. Together, they explore:CRM benefits and c
The Metrics Behind High-Performing Outreach Programs
In this episode of the “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, is joined by colleagues Wendy Daigle and Ellen Dijkman Dulkes to discuss how laboratory outreach programs can use metrics to drive performance, strengthen client relationships, and support long-term growth. Together, they explore:Financial metrics (01:35): Learn w
Proven Tactics for Identifying New Customers
In this episode of the “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, is joined by colleagues Wendy Daigle and Ellen Dijkman Dulkes to discuss how to identify and engage new customers. They pull from their own experiences prospecting new clients to offer practical tips and suggestions. Recognizing attrition risks (01:23): Learn how
Real-World Strategies for Skilled Nursing Outreach
In this episode of the “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, is joined by colleagues Wendy Daigle and Ellen Dijkman Dulkes for the second episode in a two-part series on skilled nursing facilities. Drawing on their experience managing outreach services, the group shares practical insights and real-world solutions.Collecting
Establishing Successful Relationships With Skilled Nursing Facilities
In this episode of the “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, is joined by colleagues Wendy Daigle and Ellen Dijkman Dulkes for the first installment of a two-part series on skilled nursing facilities. The discussion explores how partnerships between hospital laboratories and skilled nursing facilities can deliver mutual val
Celebrating Laboratory Professionals: Ideas for a Meaningful Lab Week
In this episode of the “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, is joined by colleagues Wendy Daigle and Ellen Dijkman Dulkes to discuss National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week and share ideas for celebrating across the organization. National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week background (00:25): A brief history and
Creating Effective Outreach Leadership Roles
In this episode of the “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, is joined by colleagues Wendy Daigle and Ellen Dijkman Dulkes to explore the diverse roles and responsibilities of outreach leaders. Together, they share insights based on their own experiences and the work they do with clients.Common responsibilities (01:02): An
Goal-Setting Insights for Laboratory Outreach Programs
In this episode of the “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, is joined by colleagues Wendy Daigle and Ellen Dijkman Dulkes to discuss identifying meaningful goals for a laboratory outreach program and taking steps to achieve them. Key topics include: Internal influences (01:32): The importance of considering your organizati
Key Updates on Today’s Regulatory Landscape for Outreach Laboratories
In this episode of the “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, welcomes Chelsea Conn, Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ director of regulatory affairs. Together, they break down the latest regulatory changes and share actionable strategies to help outreach programs stay informed and prepared. Key topics include: FDA rule for lab-developed
Practical Strategies for Boosting Outreach Laboratory Profitability
In this episode of the “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, is joined by Wendy Daigle and Ellen Dijkman Dulkes, outreach solutions specialists. Together, they share practical strategies that outreach programs can consider to strengthen their financial performance.Managing courier expenses (02:06): Explore ways to manage custome
Delivering Exceptional Phlebotomy Experiences to Patients With Unique Needs
In this episode of the “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, is joined by Todd Juen, outpatient lab supervisor at Mayo Clinic. Together, they explore how to deliver exceptional experiences to patient populations with unique needs, including: Pediatric patients (02:46): Learn about the thoughtful accommodations made to ensure a p
Essential Communication Tips for Outreach Managers
In this episode of the “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, is joined by colleagues Wendy Daigle and Ellen Dijkman Dulkes. Together, they dive into the power of communication in laboratory outreach, sharing practical advice and memorable stories about:Identifying audiences (04:13): Discover the internal and external groups
Elevating Clinical Lab Websites in a Changing Technology Landscape
In this episode of the “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, is joined by Travis Engelhaupt, digital experience director, and Naomi Lovell, project manager. Together, they discuss website trends and best practices, including: Valuable content for clinical laboratory websites.The impact of mobile technology and artificial in
From Reference to Resource: Elevating the Lab Test Catalog
In this episode of Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, is joined by Karen Kloke, director of scientific and technical publications at Mayo Clinic Laboratories. Together, they explore the evolution of laboratory test catalogs and share practical tips for maximizing their value. Topics discussed in
Building Momentum for Outreach Implementation Success
In this episode of Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, is joined by colleagues Ellen Dijkman Dulkes and Brianne Newton. They discuss common reasons that outreach programs fail to launch and strategies for building momentum to implement a program. Specific topics include:The knowledge and competit
Overcoming Common Barriers to Outreach Success
In this episode of Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, is joined by colleagues Ellen Dijkman Dulkes and Brianne Newton. They discuss common challenges outreach programs face that can lead to a program’s failure and how to overcome those barriers. Specific topics include:Bolstering leadership supp
Roles, Goals, and Communication: Launching an Outreach Program
In this episode of Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, is joined by colleagues Ellen Dijkman Dulkes and Brianne Newton to discuss building an outreach team. Specific topics include:Insights for identifying roles and staff for your outreach team. Guidance for establishing goals for an emerging out
How to Master Service Recovery
In this episode of Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, is joined by colleagues Ellen Dijkman Dulkes and Brianne Newton. They build on their previous discussion about customer service by focusing on service recovery. They discuss strategies for responding to mishaps in the laboratory in a way tha
Elevating Your Customer Service
In this episode of Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, is joined by colleagues Ellen Dijkman Dulkes and Brianne Newton. They discuss strategies for delivering excellent customer service. Specific topics include: Identifying points of contact with patients and clients that are opportunities to del
Getting the Most Value From Customer Surveys
In this episode of Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, is joined by colleagues Ellen Dijkman Dulkes and Brianne Newton. They discuss and share tips related to gathering customer input, including: The various audiences that can provide valuable feedback.Specific examples of the type of feedback to
Pathologists’ Important Roles in Community Medicine
In this episode of Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, speaks with Vipul Trivedi, M.D., chair of Pathology at Mayo Clinic Health System and chair of the Division of Community Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic. Dr. Trivedi helps oversee 38 hospital and clinic laboratories in variou
Preparing for Changes in Laboratory Regulations
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation of laboratory-developed tests (LDT) and implementation of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA) are both topics of high interest in the laboratory industry. In this episode of Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, speaks with Shannon Ben
Working With Clients to Create a Smooth Testing Journey
Every laboratory strives to deliver excellent service and high-quality results. Still, unexpected challenges can arise on the journey from ordering to billing that can impact patient experience, efficiency, and turnaround times. In this episode of Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, speaks with o
How to Minimize Operational Disruptions in an Outreach Program
Outreach operational plans are designed to provide excellent customer service, support staff efficiency, and maintain high quality. As with any business, laboratories may face unexpected circumstances that temporarily impact operations. In this episode of Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, spea
Expanding Reach Through Home Phlebotomy
In this episode of Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, speaks with Camille Jewell, outpatient laboratory service technician at Mayo Clinic. They discuss how laboratory outreach programs can incorporate outcall or home phlebotomy to help prevent hospital readmissions, support patients with mobilit
An Inside Perspective of Outreach
In this episode of Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, is joined by Mark Kjer, supervisor of technologist support at Mayo Clinic Laboratories. They discuss the different perspectives of the outreach program from the laboratory’s operational and technical levels. Their discussion topics include:Ch
Engaging the Next Generation of Lab Professionals
At 16 years old, Isak Schmidley is the youngest person to have passed the American Society for Clinical Pathology’s (ASCP) Medical Laboratory Scientist certification exam. In addition to attending high school, Isak is enrolled in college graduate classes and works as a medical laboratory scientist at a hospital in Louisiana. In this episode of Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ “Leveraging the La
Managing Outpatient Interactions Beyond the Phlebotomy Setting
In this episode of Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, speaks with outreach solutions strategists Ellen Dijkman Dulkes and Brianne Newton. They discuss how to proactively manage the variety of patient requests and interactions that occur in an outreach laboratory beyond the phlebotomy environment
Advocating for the Laboratory Profession
In this episode of Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, speaks with outreach solutions strategists Ellen Dijkman Dulkes and Brianne Newton. Their discussion focuses on advocating for the laboratory, lab careers, and the value of lab testing. Their discussion topics include:How to be an advocate fo
Technology Needs and Challenges in the Outreach Lab
In this episode of Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, speaks with Dan Nelson, a Mayo Clinic contract employee and laboratory connectivity expert. They discuss the unique needs and challenges that outreach labs face with information technology (IT) systems. Specific topics of discussion include:H
Using Data-Driven, In-Person Discussions to Support Outreach Clients
In this episode of Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, speaks with outreach solutions strategists Ellen Dijkman Dulkes and Brianne Newton. They discuss how an outreach program can work with its customers on process improvements by using periodic visits and data-driven discussions. Specific topics
Conveying the Value of the Hospital Laboratory
In this episode of Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, talks with Erin Hoffman, division director of hospital sales and services at Mayo Clinic Laboratories. They discuss the value of the hospital laboratory, the challenges and opportunities facing community labs today, and how to have impactful
Understanding Laboratory Regulations
In this episode of Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, talks with Shannon Bennett, director of regulatory affairs for the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic. They discuss the complex and changing environment of laboratory industry regulations. Specific topics of discus
Driving Change and Growth Through the Laboratory Sales Team
In this episode of Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, talks with vice president of sales and services John Heywood about the important role of sales within an outreach program. Specific topics of discussion include:How sales teams can elevate and grow laboratory outreach programs.Why organizatio
How to Create a Positive Customer Experience
In this episode of Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, talks with outreach solutions strategists Ellen Dijkman Dulkes and Brianne Newton about creating a positive customer service experience in the outreach laboratory. Specific topics of discussion include:First steps in establishing a strong lo
Marketing Strategies and Considerations for the Outreach Laboratory
In this episode of Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, talks with Andrew Tofilon, director of marketing at Mayo Clinic Laboratories. They discuss integrated marketing strategies for the outreach laboratory. Specific topics of discussion include:Aligning marketing tactics with the target audience.
Safeguarding Specimen Integrity and Managing the Unexpected
In this episode of Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, talks with Nikola Baumann, Ph.D., co-director of the Central Clinical Laboratory and Central Processing Laboratory at Mayo Clinic. They discuss specimen challenges that may arise within an outreach laboratory and strategies for quality manage
Maintaining Quality Within an Outreach Program
In this episode of Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, talks with quality management coordinator Kate Pearce about optimizing preanalytic quality for specimens received from outreach laboratory customers. Specific topics of discussion include: What to consider when monitoring the quality of prean
Dissecting industry trends
In this episode of Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, talks with outreach solutions strategists Ellen Dijkman Dulkes and Brianne Newton about industry trends. In the past year, the health care industry has faced many challenges, especially in the laboratory. From staffing concerns and increased
KPIs: If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it
In this episode of Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, talks with outreach solutions strategists Ellen Dijkman Dulkes and Brianne Newton about key performance indicators (KPIs). KPIs for a laboratory department should include outreach-specific KPIs, which can be used to support process improvemen
Best practices for managing outreach supplies
In this episode of Mayo Clinic Laboratories “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, talks with outreach solutions strategists Ellen Dijkman Dulkes and Brianne Newton about supplies. Having appropriate supplies is the critical first step in collecting and preserving specimens. During the discussion, Ellen and Brianne give insi
Why laboratory professionals should embrace the spotlight during Lab Week
On this episode of Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager, returns with outreach solutions strategists Ellen Dijkman Dulkes and Brianne Newton to chat about National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week, April 23–29. During the discussion, they weigh in on:How the weeklong celebration spotlights the impact laboratory professio
How to grow your career in outreach management
On this episode of Mayo Clinic Laboratories “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, sits down with outreach solutions strategists Ellen Dijkman Dulkes and Brianne Newton to delve deeper into the world of outreach program management. As true pioneers of the department at Mayo Clinic, Ellen and Brianne share their robust knowle
Making sense of an ever-changing regulatory environment
In this episode of Mayo Clinic Laboratories “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, and Shannon Bennett, director of regulatory affairs for Mayo Clinic’s Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, discuss the ever-changing regulatory environment, its impact on outreach laboratories, and how lab staff can best stay on to
Fostering an effective courier relationship
In this episode of the "Leveraging the Laboratory" podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, discusses courier options and logistics with outreach colleagues Brianne Newton and Ellen Dijkman Dulkes. They highlight what needs to be considered when choosing a courier service and how to leverage the courier partnership so it adds value to your outreach lab.
The evolution of laboratory outreach
In the inaugural episode of the "Leveraging the Laboratory" podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, is joined by outreach colleagues Brianne Newton and Ellen Dijkman Dulkes. They discuss their laboratory backgrounds, the history and importance of laboratory outreach, and how their work can support the growth of hospital laboratories.
