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Columbus Public Health to consolidate lab testing under a single contract with oversight conditions
Summary
Columbus Public Health will consolidate most external clinical testing with Center for Disease Detection LLC to support Epic electronic health records integration; council adopted an amendment requiring performance monitoring, employee transition protections, and a written report before contract renewal.
Columbus Public Health is consolidating its external laboratory services under a contract with Center for Disease Detection LLC after concluding its in‑house lab could not meet Epic electronic-health-record interoperability requirements without major capital investment. The council approved the contract as amended to add explicit oversight, employee transition protections and cost‑savings monitoring.
Assistant Health Commissioner Tiffany Krause and department staff told council that adopting Epic as the agency’s electronic health record requires a single external reference lab for interoperability and that upgrading the in‑house lab to the same standard would cost millions. The proposed contract is expected to save roughly $250,000 annually while preserving point-of-care testing at clinics.
AFSCME representatives and other staff raised concerns about job impacts and the potential for service delays. Council negotiated an amendment with the department and labor that requires a written report on patient-care impacts, fiscal outcomes and employee transition plans prior to contract renewal and directs Columbus Public Health to return to council if expected savings or service quality targets are not met.
Council adopted the contract plus amendment and instructed departments to monitor impacts and ensure that clients experience no drop in timely access to required tests.
