ARUP Partners With ELLKAY to Bring Connectivity Solutions to Health System Outreach Operations

SALT LAKE CITY—ARUP Laboratories and healthcare connectivity company ELLKAY have forged a new partnership aimed at helping health systems establish or expand successful laboratory outreach operations.

Hospital laboratories are key contributors to the continuum of care within their communities but often lack the necessary resources to connect provider offices, electronic health records (EHRs), billing departments, and other systems. The new ARUP and ELLKAY partnership aims to bridge that gap with LKOrbit, a laboratory enterprise platform that enables electronic orders, simplifies results delivery, and streamlines reimbursement workflows.

“One of the biggest burdens to setting up an outreach operation is having a connectivity solution, a way for providers to order testing directly in their electronic health records, and have those orders go to the laboratory, and then have the results flow right back into their EHRs,” said Sandy Richman, MBA, C(ASCP), director of ARUP Healthcare Advisory Services. “ELLKAY gives health systems the tools to exchange data securely across various systems, including the EHR, registration, payers, the lab, and more.”

LKOrbit is a cloud-based connectivity platform that streamlines provider workflow and facilitates rapid orders, results, and reports. It also maximizes revenue by connecting the clinical and demographic information needed for accurate billing. LKOrbit is scalable and flexible to meet the unique volume, budget, and population needs of health systems. Through this new partnership, ARUP clients will have access to competitive pricing on this customizable solution.

ARUP has partnered with ELLKAY because it shares a patient-centered approach to business, as well as a commitment to delivering exceptional value and quality service, said ARUP Director of the Client Relations Division Kevin Swallow. “ELLKAY and ARUP are aligned in providing the right information to the physician in a timely manner that promotes efficacy and patient safety. There's value in giving the right information at the right time to the patient. At the end of the day, it's all about the patient.”

ELLKAY President and Chief Strategy Officer Ajay Kapare said, “ELLKAY prides itself on innovation, agility, and solving complex interoperability challenges. Those qualities, in combination with ARUP’s proven track record of facilitating profitability and growth for health system outreach operations, will result in an impactful partnership. We look forward to working together with ARUP to equip health systems with the interoperability capabilities they need to expand outreach, improve workflows, and maximize the value of their laboratories.”

ARUP Healthcare Advisory Services provides expert consultation to health systems seeking to establish or expand laboratory outreach operations. Healthcare consultations include operations assessments, marketing opportunity analyses, and business planning guidance to empower health systems to grow sustainable, profitable outreach operations.

“When we do an operations assessment, the connectivity piece is almost always one of the gaps that they have,” Richman said. “With our new ELLKAY partnership, we can confidently recommend a connectivity solution that will bring value to hospital labs and the patients they serve.”

About ARUP Laboratories

Founded in 1984, ARUP Laboratories is a leading national reference laboratory and a nonprofit enterprise of the University of Utah and its Department of Pathology. ARUP offers more than 3,000 tests and test combinations, ranging from routine screening tests to esoteric molecular and genetic assays. ARUP serves clients in all 50 states, including many of the nation’s top university teaching hospitals and children’s hospitals, as well as multihospital groups, major commercial laboratories, group purchasing organizations, military and other government facilities, and major clinics. In addition, ARUP is a worldwide leader in innovative laboratory research and development, led by the efforts of the ARUP Institute for Research and Innovation in Diagnostics and Precision Medicine™. ARUP is ISO 15189 CAP accredited.

About ELLKAY

ELLKAY is a recognized healthcare connectivity leader, providing interoperability solutions and services nationwide since 2002. ELLKAY empowers hospitals and health systems, diagnostic laboratories, healthcare IT vendors, payers, and other healthcare organizations with cutting-edge technologies and solutions. With over 58,000 practices connected, ELLKAY’s system capability arsenal has grown to over 750+ EHR/PM systems across 1,100+ versions.

ARUP Media Contact

Lisa Carricaburu, lisa.carricaburu@aruplab.com, 801-583-2787 ext. 3842