Maryland Lab White Paper

Introduction Today’s diagnostic laboratories are no longer confined to static workflows and fixed technologies. With healthcare innovation accelerating and patient expectations rising, labs must be agile, connected, and ready to grow. The LIS is no longer just a back-office recordkeeping tool—it is the operational brain of the laboratory.

From managing specimens to integrating with provider EMRs, from handling billing submissions to delivering results across multiple digital channels, the LIS shapes the lab’s efficiency, accuracy, and ultimately, its reputation. In this context, NucleoLIS stands out as a modern, modular, and highly adaptable LIS that supports both clinical precision and business scalability.

The Maryland-based diagnostic lab at the heart of this story experienced firsthand the transformative impact of NucleoLIS. This white paper dives into how they used technology to evolve from a single-location practice to a regional powerhouse in laboratory services.

A Lost Deal, A Frustrated Lab The lab originally came to Psychē Systems through a Google Ad campaign targeting labs seeking to build or replace their LIS. Despite the promising interaction, the deal was initially lost to a competitor that made promises of faster implementation and lower upfront costs.

However, it didn’t take long for cracks to appear. Within a few months of onboarding with the alternative vendor, the lab experienced growing dissatisfaction. Feature limitations, sluggish support, and a rigid, inflexible platform slowed operations and negatively impacted client relationships.

Staff members voiced frustrations. Providers complained about delays. Leadership worried about long-term viability. Most alarmingly, the system couldn’t keep up with their vision for growth—adding new connections, supporting outreach, and customizing workflows all proved challenging and time-consuming.

It became clear that the LIS was not a strategic partner but a bottleneck. This realization prompted the lab to reopen discussions with Psychē.

Winning Back Trust with NucleoLIS Psychē Systems responded quickly and decisively. They approached the opportunity not just as a sale, but as a recovery mission to restore operational excellence. Implementation consultants, support engineers, and product strategists met with the lab’s stakeholders to identify pain points, establish goals, and map a transition plan.

The deployment team focused on minimizing downtime and preserving lab productivity throughout the switch. In record time, NucleoLIS replaced the legacy LIS with a modern infrastructure built for adaptability.

The lab regained confidence. More importantly, they gained a platform that didn’t just solve problems—but empowered possibilities. NucleoLIS gave them options. Options to expand, to integrate, to automate, and to scale—all without having to start over again with new technology.

Key Features and Early Wins The transformation was immediate and noticeable.

With secure email delivery, digital ordering portals, and robust outreach capabilities, the lab was finally able to serve its providers with the level of professionalism and speed it had long aspired to offer. Results could be delivered to providers securely within minutes of finalization, and the bi-directional EMR interfaces dramatically cut down on phone inquiries and fax transmissions.

Laboratory staff embraced the system’s intuitive user interface, customizable worklists, and real-time visibility into case status. The operations team noticed significant declines in rework and missed steps. Billing processes became more transparent and predictable.

For many, this wasn’t just a new LIS—it was a new way of working. A new rhythm of communication. A new era of efficiency.

Adding Interfaces and Custom Workflows After the core system was live and stable, the lab moved to phase two: continuous optimization.

This phase included investments in automated workflows, real-time dashboards, and expanded EMR connectivity. The lab worked closely with Psychē developers to build workflows that matched exactly how their staff worked, not the other way around.

With smart routing, prioritized queueing, and built-in alerting, turnaround times improved even more. The lab could flag and reroute problematic orders, automatically alert supervisors when critical values were detected, and escalate results based on specific payer or provider rules.

The LIS became more than an operational engine—it became a strategic tool. One that helped align departments, break silos, and create a culture of precision and predictability.

The Second Lab and TC/PC Split As demand increased, the lab made a major strategic decision: to acquire and launch a second facility in a neighboring city. Instead of managing the new lab as a separate entity, the team expanded their existing LIS instance, enabled by NucleoLIS’s built-in support for TC/PC workflows.

The technical component (TC) remained centralized at the original site, while the professional component (PC) responsibilities were assigned to staff at the new location. This structure allowed shared infrastructure while still respecting compliance boundaries and workflow customization needs.

Results from both labs flowed through the same LIS but could be filtered, audited, and reported independently. The result: rapid expansion with minimal complexity.

Interfacing, Instrumentation, and Clearinghouses No lab scales without smart technology. Over the next two years, the Maryland lab focused on building a comprehensive digital ecosystem. NucleoLIS became the hub that connected them to the rest of the healthcare world.

Through 136+ LifePoint EMR connections, they built a provider network that could order and receive results with zero disruption. Each integration was tailored to the provider’s needs and supported by real-time monitoring tools that ensured data integrity.

Instrument connectivity was another major win. Dozens of analyzers across both labs now report directly into NucleoLIS, with automated result parsing, error flagging, and real-time charting.

The addition of clearinghouse integrations allowed the lab to automate claims submission, track denials, and reconcile payments within days—not weeks. As a result, billing teams experienced greater transparency, fewer delays, and cleaner financial forecasting.

Scalability and Customization What truly sets NucleoLIS apart is its commitment to modularity and adaptability. Labs can start small, expand strategically, and never feel boxed in by their system. Each enhancement—be it an EMR interface, a pathology report template, or a specialized analytics dashboard—plugs seamlessly into the existing framework.

It’s an LIS that grows with you. Labs that once struggled with fixed logic or hard-coded workflows find new freedom with NucleoLIS’s dynamic architecture. Custom rule sets. Workflow branching. Conditional routing. Instrument batch processing. All available, all configurable.

Plus, with real-time support and proactive system health monitoring, labs feel empowered—not encumbered—by their technology.

Lessons Learned and Best Practices The lab’s journey was not just about switching systems—it was about redefining operations. Several best practices emerged:

• Plan with Growth in Mind: Build your initial system for where you’re going—not just where you are.
• Invest in Staff Training: Technology adoption is only successful when people understand and trust the tools.
• Align with a Partner, Not Just a Vendor: Work with companies that offer strategic input, not just tickets and patches.
• Monitor, Review, Improve: Use built-in analytics to keep optimizing and get ahead of issues before they impact performance.

These principles helped transform this lab into a model of operational excellence in just a few years.

Future-Proofing Diagnostics with NucleoLIS The story of this Maryland-based lab is one of resilience, strategic thinking, and bold execution. By partnering with Psychē Systems and embracing the full potential of NucleoLIS, they have laid the foundation for continued growth, client satisfaction, and market leadership.

For labs across the U.S. seeking to scale smartly, integrate deeply, and serve with confidence, NucleoLIS offers more than functionality—it offers freedom. Freedom to evolve, to connect, to innovate.

It’s time for labs to expect more from their LIS—and to build the future with partners who are ready to grow with them.

Want to hear it straight from the lab? This Maryland-based lab is open to connecting with qualified peers interested in learning more about their journey. If you’d like an introduction, reach out to us at PsycheSystems.com.