Hospital Laboratory Leadership and the Dyad Model of Management

Abstract

The medical director of the hospital-based clinical laboratory is ultimately responsible, according to Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act (CLIA) regulations, for the quality of services provided. The medical director, however, may have little authority over laboratory operations, possibly because of the organizational structure of the laboratory or the limited interaction between the medical director and hospital administrators. The Dyad (pair) model of management is ideal for implementation in the clinical laboratory. In this model, as applied in the hospital laboratory setting, the medical director and a member of the hospital administration team form a dyad to embrace shared accountability and to implement a common vision and shared goals. As a result, the hospital administrators view the laboratory through the perspective of the medical director, and the medical director gains a defined mechanism to exert influence over the laboratory production process. * COO : chief operating officer; CLIA : Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act; TAT : turnaround time; CAP : College of American Pathologists; VP : vice president; CEO : chief executive officer; QC : quality control; PT : proficiency testing; CE : continuing education