Blog
The LigoLab Partnership with Summit Pathology: A Lab Success Story
January 6, 2025
Joseph Guido is curious by nature and a few years back he found himself intrigued with the LIS Laboratory Information System (medical LIS) he was using as a Gross Tech at Summit Pathology in Loveland, Colorado. It seemed to him that there was a lot more power behind the lab information system technology housed in the lab than what was being used. He had a hunch and wanted to learn more.
Guido, who went on the become the lab’s Director of Information Technology, was right, and that hunch helped pave the way for a very successful long-term laboratory information system software partnership that continues to thrive between Summit Pathology and LigoLab to this day.
For those not familiar with the LigoLab platform, it’s an all-in-one pathology lab software (pathology lab reporting software) that caters to all diagnostic lab software disciplines, including Anatomic Pathology (anatomic pathology LIS), Clinical Pathology (healthcare LIS) and Molecular Diagnostics (molecular LIS). Additionally, the platform features integrated laboratory billing (lab revenue cycle management, lab RCM) and direct-to-consumer lab testing (TestDirectly and TestDirectly.com) solutions that help labs remain agile and innovative to stay relevant in what remains a fast-changing industry.
Learn More: Best Pathology Lab Reporting Software - 2025 Buyers Guide and Checklist
“A few years ago, LigoLab held a user conference and they invited me to come,” said Guido. “I attended and it was intense. I experienced workshops with developers, with the help desk, and with support. It was a lot of hands-on instruction that you don’t typically get with a lot of laboratory information system companies.”
White Paper: Comparing LigoLab Informatics Platform with Legacy Laboratory Information System Software
Modern Laboratory Information System Functions Promote Lab Growth
Guido took what he learned during those LigoLab workshops and quickly started to leverage laboratory information system functions to spur lab growth and improve patient care.
“We have grown from 10 to 23 pathologists,” said Guido. “We have offices all over northern Colorado and down to Colorado Springs, and we recently opened new offices in Cheyenne, Wyoming. We cover so much more area now, and the efficiencies we gained from partnering with LigoLab enabled us to grow quickly.”
LIS System Workflow Automation, Data Analytics, and Lab RCM
Summit Pathology has successfully demonstrated the strategic value that advanced anatomical pathology software can bring to a lab business.
The thriving lab utilizes LigoLab's LIS pathology solution for workflow automation, data analytics, and assistance with laboratory revenue cycle management (lab RCM). Key benefits include:
Workflow Action Queues: These configurable task managers streamline operations by allowing cases to progress while flagged issues are resolved, enhancing turnaround times and quality control. This flexibility also supports the efficient onboarding and credentialing of new pathologists.
Learn More: A Detailed Look at How Modern Laboratory Information Systems Fully Support Quality Control
Lab Billing Automation: Collaboration between in-house coders and external lab billing services ensures accurate and timely submissions. Automation prevents errors, largely reduces staff administrative requirements, and improves communication across the entire laboratory billing process.
Learn More: How Much is Your Outdated Laboratory Revenue Cycle Management Costing Your Lab?
MIPS Reporting: Advanced LIS pathology technology automates the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) reporting process, transforming a time-intensive task into a streamlined, accurate lab workflow, maximizing CMS reimbursements and achieving top performance scores.
Data Analytics and Reporting: Summit Pathology leverages LIS system software data for decision-making, compliance reporting, and client lab billing. Custom scripts and dynamic reports enable precise tracking of cases, identification of coding errors, and tailored client services, such as generating adenoma detection rates for GI clients.
All of these laboratory information system functions are featured in an on-demand webinar featuring Summit Pathology. Click the link below to access the webinar.
On-Demand Webinar: Leverage LIS System Rules, Automation, and Data Analytics to Increase Efficiency and Cut Costs
LIS System Vendors and the Value of High-End Support
This anatomic pathology LIS success story from Loveland has been repeated countless times nationwide because a partnership with LigoLab allows anatomic and clinical pathology laboratories to significantly grow their businesses, achieve quicker turnaround times, optimize laboratory workflow management, and eliminate errors and safety issues.
“The support that LigoLab provides is unique,” continued Guido. “I don’t have this when I’m working with other laboratory software systems. I don’t get the same hands-on contact and results that I get when working with LigoLab.”
Learn More: LigoLab’s Approach to LIS System Implementation and Support
“I’ve never had an outstanding LIS software problem that wasn’t solved with the help that LigoLab provides,” said Guido, who cited an improved quality control process as an example where the lab is now quickly able to track and identify mistakes users are making, and then take corrective action.
Learn More: How Specimen Tracking Software Improves Efficiency and Reduces the Chance for Diagnostic Errors
“The beauty of it is that we’re able to push these specimens along and then fix the problems as we’re processing, so the turnaround time for the patient is paramount. That’s been a huge success. The pathologists love it, and at the end of the day it serves our patients in the best possible way,” he said.
Easy Access to Laboratory Information System Data
“There is so much information captured in LigoLab, and then you’re able to specifically drill down and take and use whatever information you need,” said Guido. “From order entry to grossing, histology, and case signout – the specimen starts as tissue and then ends up as a glass slide for diagnosis, and it can be accurately tracked the entire way through.”
Guido believes a lab’s medical LIS platform should serve the pathologist, who shouldn’t have to do a lot of workarounds or go out of the LIS system to solve any problem.
“In so many of the labs I’ve visited, they’ve had so much middleware and programs running in parallel,” he said. “With LigoLab’s pathology LIS systems, it’s amazing because it’s all built-in – and if it’s not built-in – their development engineers are pretty good at building it for you.”
“If you can think of a new process to overcome a problem, track quality, or improve client relationships, it can all be done within LigoLab’s LIS system software,” said Guido.
Case Study: Summit Pathology - Achieving Laboratory Profitability Amidst Operational Pressures
LigoLab: Advanced LIS Systems and Modern Anatomic Pathology Software Solutions
LigoLab is a thriving LIS company based in Los Angeles that specializes in pathology software development for medical laboratories, no matter the size. LigoLab competes with the giants of the LIS system industry thanks to its unique tiered pricing model and its all-in-one LIS laboratory information system (LIS system) and lab revenue cycle management (lab RCM) platform, the LigoLab LIS & RCM Laboratory Informatics Platform.
For more information visit LigoLab.com or contact a product specialist to request a pathology software demonstration.
