How Saint Francis Hospital improved lab performance across its network using Abbott’s total solution—achieving high assay quality, faster turnaround times, and better resource utilization while supporting long-term growth.
Case Study
Streamlining Diagnostics for scalable Patient Care
Realizing Network Efficiency Through Abbott’s Total Solution
Abbott’s Total Solution Drives Success at Saint Francis
Sigma strong assay performance
Achieved stat tat goal
Reduced manual activities
Background
Saint Francis Hospital is a 1,112-bed tertiary care center in eastern Oklahoma and the anchor of a multi-hospital network with 95 clinics. It serves as the region’s only dedicated children’s hospital and level IV NICU. Processing 15.7 million tests annually, the lab supports in-house and outreach testing. With a 17+ year partnership with Abbott, Saint Francis sought to enhance result commutability, maintain high-quality diagnostics, and scale operations to meet growing demand—all while optimizing space and resources.
Challenge
Faced with rising test volumes and limited space, Saint Francis needed to ensure consistent, high-quality results across its network. The lab aimed to reduce manual workload, improve turnaround times for STAT testing, and maintain standardized reference ranges across systems. Additionally, the growing demand for medical technologists highlighted the need for efficient resource utilization and automation to support long-term scalability.
Solution
Saint Francis implemented Abbott’s total solution, including the Alinity ci-series, ACCELERATOR a3600 automation, and AlinIQ AMS. This enabled standardized reference ranges and excellent result commutability (average correlation coefficient of 0.994 for clinical chemistry). 89% of assays achieved 5 or 6 Sigma performance, reducing QC rejections. STAT TAT goals were met for 96% of tests. Automation and autoverification eliminated manual review for 81% of immunoassay/chemistry and 83% of hematology results. Testing throughput increased by 88%, and tests per square foot rose by 29%. Maintenance time dropped by 76%, saving 45 hours annually.
Impact
Saint Francis achieved significant operational improvements: faster STAT turnaround times, reduced manual workload, and enhanced system availability. The lab scaled testing capacity by 88% and improved space utilization by 29%. High assay performance and autoverification boosted result reliability and staff efficiency. These outcomes support the hospital’s growth strategy and commitment to high-quality patient care.
About Saint Francis Hospital
Saint Francis Hospital is a leading healthcare provider in eastern Oklahoma, known for its advanced pediatric and neonatal care. As part of a large health system, its laboratory plays a critical role in delivering consistent, high-quality diagnostics across multiple facilities. The lab’s long-standing partnership with Abbott reflects its dedication to innovation and operational excellence.
In our Customers' words
"Our long-standing partnership with Abbott has positioned our laboratory and health system to grow, improve physician and patient satisfaction through continuous improvement initiatives.”
Jamie Mackey
Saint Francis Director of Laboratory Services
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