Our goal is to do anything and everything to help you as a provider to succeed in delivering the highest quality of care.
This is the ideology behind PAML (Pathology Associates Medical Laboratories) – a medical reference laboratory serving physicians, hospitals and allied health professionals. Ranked among the top clinical reference laboratories in the nation and considered an industry leader in joint venture partnerships, PAML is dedicated to personalized service, rapid turnaround time and innovative information management systems.
We recently spoke with Dr. Francisco R. Velázquez, President and Chief Executive Officer at PAML, to further understand the history of the company and his methodology to become a driving force in the healthcare solutions industry.
From West to East – A History of Going Nationwide
Founded in 1957 in the town of Spokane, Washington, PAML was initially focused on serving the Pacific Northwest region. From Montana to Idaho, the company soon discovered that its reach could extend much farther. Over the years, PAML grew to encompass a wider geographical presence, additionally realigning its focus to diagnostics.
“About three years ago, we launched a professional services corporation,” said Dr. Velázquez. “We developed a portfolio of complementary skills that are useful not only to us as a company but more importantly bring valuable services to those that we work with.”
Referring to PAML as a healthcare solutions company, Dr. Velázquez went on to explain that his primary goal was to do the best work possible, leaving his clients and partners with the solutions and a roadmap to providing better care.
“Our goal is to go in and help you and leave as quickly as we can,” said Dr. Velázquez.
Successful Direction
How does a company remain competitive, especially within the healthcare industry? According to Dr. Velázquez, the answer is simple: pay attention.
“We pay attention to new developments,” clarified Dr. Velázquez. “And not just in the healthcare industry, but in others as well.”
“It’s important for us to understand what the world around us is doing because ultimately most of the trends that we see in other industries will come to healthcare,” he continued.
PAML also connects with higher level academic institutions to understand where innovation is headed. By spending time with entrepreneurs and those investing venture capital dollars in new technologies, PAML successfully keeps its “finger on the pulse.”
Innovative Solutions
PAML is striving to close the gap in the continuum of care between the time that individuals are consumers and the time that they are patients.
“Right now, both worlds don’t connect and we’re looking to connect those better,” said Dr. Velázquez.
With more consumers looking for ways to proactively manage their health, many have turned to the internet for help in accessing medical resources to help them make smart decisions. In response to this, late last year PAML unveiled its website for Cinch™, the company’s new consumer-based product line that empowers individuals to reveal their health through easy access to laboratory testing and information.
“Our Cinch product line is a step above what is currently being offered in the market for direct-to-consumer laboratory testing,” said Shawn Whitcomb, PAML’s Chief Information Officer in a press release. “We are delivering the same superiority in laboratory testing that patients receive from their physician, but with much more convenience and flexibility, and often at a lower cost than a traditional physician visit.”
Additionally, PAML recently launched another brand titled AION (meaning “life” or “longevity” in Greek) which aims to assist physicians practicing personalized medicine by delivering evidence-based testing utilizing robust diagnostic technology to detect risk factors and biomarkers associated with aging.
Through clinical relevance and uniformity of testing, AION aids physicians in their efforts to monitor patients and manage treatment programs over time. AION also provides nationwide concierge phlebotomy services to healthcare providers that do not have in-house drawing personnel, as well as an online portal delivering enhanced reports.
“We’ve segmented the areas of wellness we serve into traditional and clinical wellness, wellness for consumers, wellness for the ageing population and we’re now entering into corporate wellness for employees,” said Dr. Velázquez.
Why Choose PAML?
“In short, we’re a true partner,” said Dr. Velázquez. “Our goal is for you to succeed. We’re focused on quality and service in terms of providing for those that work with us.”
As a value-driven organization, PAML looks to enhance the skills and abilities of its clients all while remaining community-centric.
Mindful of its presence in the community, PAML is constantly looking to locally brand joint ventures for the benefit of its partners and the community as a whole.
“Our goal is to do upwards of 90 percent of the volume generated in a particular region locally,” explained Dr. Velázquez. “That way we can increase the efficiency of our local partners, provide them with a revenue stream they didn’t previously have, and maintain the continuity of information for the region of delivered care.”