Answers from the Lab

In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Division of Clinical Microbiology at Mayo Clinic, is joined by William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., CEO and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, for a conversation about quality management. Specifically, they discuss: 

• The benefit of investing in quality management for patients, staff, and the organization.
• How Mayo Clinic’s Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology in Rochester evolved and grew its quality management program.
• The advantage of holding 5–10-minute huddles each day.
• How the lab leverages education on quality tools and Gemba Walks to empower all staff to invest in quality management.

In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Division of Clinical Microbiology at Mayo Clinic, is joined by William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., CEO and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories. 

They discuss recent business trends in diagnostics and why it is important for pathologists to stay informed about these trends. Their conversation covers: 

• What’s driving a renewed interest in investing in diagnostics.
• Why the knowledge pathologists have is so valuable in the current landscape.
• How the evolving expectations of laboratory professionals will make it important to stay informed about business trends.

Sanjeev Sethi, M.D., Ph.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' new mass spectrometry test (Mayo ID: MSMN) identifies most antigens now known to cause membranous nephropathy. Precise identification of antigens is important for optimal management of this serious kidney disease.

(00:32)
Would you mind telling us a little bit about yourself and your background?

(01:58)
Would you give us an overview of membranous nephropathy? 

(07:14)
Could you tell us a little bit about this new assay?

(14:29)
Could you give a little example of how a clinician might use this information to treat their patients differently than how they would've in the past? 
 
 

In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Division of Clinical Microbiology at Mayo Clinic, is joined by William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., CEO and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories. 

They discuss Dr. Morice’s recent article in Becker’s Hospital Review, “Nine Developments Predicted to Shape Laboratory Medicine and Diagnostics in 2025,” and go deeper into conversation about: 

• The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence and large language models.
• Digital pathology.
• Proteomics, metabolomics, and mass spectrometry.

In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Division of Clinical Microbiology at Mayo Clinic, is joined by Erin Graf, Ph.D., co-director of Microbiology in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, to discuss benefits of automation in the laboratory.   

Topics of discussion include:

• Specific examples of how they are using automation in the laboratory. 
• Strategies for ensuring a smooth implementation and a positive experience for staff. 
• The potential of automation to support staff and continued patient care excellence amid projected labor shortages in the future. 

In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Division of Clinical Microbiology at Mayo Clinic, is joined by William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., CEO and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, to discuss emerging concerns about H5N1 avian influenza. 

Specific topics of discussion include:

• Patterns of transmission and what they indicate about the potential of person-to-person transmission. 
• Tools, tests, and processes that emerged in recent years that are making it easier to understand and track this virus. 
• Remaining unknowns about the virus and how it could evolve. 

In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Division of Clinical Microbiology at Mayo Clinic, is joined by William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., CEO and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, to discuss the progress of artificial intelligence (AI) and what’s next in this space.

Specific topics of discussion include:

• What’s driving the rapid acceleration of AI advancements.
• Ethical concerns and opportunities.
• How expenses, payment models, and culture influence AI advancements.
• The need to rethink training and education amid the rise of AI solutions.

In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Division of Clinical Microbiology at Mayo Clinic, is joined by William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., CEO and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, to discuss the latest in infectious disease outbreaks.    

Specific topics of discussion include:

• Recent trends in the spread of H5 bird flu and dengue fever. 
• Why it’s important to think globally when monitoring infectious diseases.
• Extra precautions to take during the holiday travel season to keep you and those around you healthy.

In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Division of Clinical Microbiology at Mayo Clinic, is joined by William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., CEO and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, to discuss how labs can enhance patient access to improve health equity.

Specific topics of discussion include:

• Innovations creating new possibilities, such as mobile clinics, at-home tests, and artificial intelligence.
• The responsibility of laboratory professionals to help guide the use of these new tools and the importance of collaboration between health systems.
• What’s needed to make solutions scalable and sustainable.

Learn more in Dr. Morice’s “Lab Manager” article. 

In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Division of Clinical Microbiology at Mayo Clinic, is joined by genetic counselors Carrie Lahner, M.S., CGC, and April Studinski Jones, M.S., CGC, to discuss how family medical history can inform genetic testing strategies.   

Specific topics of discussion include:

• The seven main types of genetic testing, and how clinicians know when and what genetic testing to order.
• Key family history details to collect to inform decisions about genetic testing. 
• How genetic counselors collaborate with physicians and laboratorians to make testing decisions. 
• Recent genetic testing advancements that are improving diagnostics.