Assessing the Impact of Medical Laboratory Resource Allocations on Hospital Finances.

The relationship between resource allocation decisions within medical laboratory cost centers and overall hospital financial performance is empirically investigated using a panel of critical access hospitals in Washington State (2014-2016). In order to increase accessibility to hospital managers and health policy makers, a managerial finance perspective (defining performance using simple financial accounting ratios) is adopted. Results indicate that resource allocation decisions within the medical laboratory cost center have a significant impact on the financial performance of the hospital as a whole. However, the nature of the impact depends on the type of financial metric utilized. For instance, the proportion of the typical medical laboratory's budget that is allocated to rent is negatively and significantly related to the hospital's return on assets. Concomitantly, medical laboratory cost centers that have a larger footprint in the hospital (as measured by square footage) exhibit a significant, positive association with the hospital's current ratio. Thus, physically larger medical laboratories may allow the hospital to better manage its liquid assets.

Study Abroad Course for Pre-pharmacy and Pharmacy Students to Learn About Global Health.

Objective. To design, implement, and assess a study abroad course in Ireland for pre-professional and Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students. Methods. An elective study abroad course was created for pre-professional and PharmD students at North Dakota State University. The course included comparison of the US and Ireland's health care delivery systems and participation in history and cultural experiences in Ireland. Prior to the trip, students and preceptors attended seminars related to the culture of Ireland. The three-week trip to Ireland took place between the spring and summer semesters in 2016. Student assignments while abroad included completion of a self-reflection journal with daily entries describing what the student learned and how the experience impacted them, and completion and presentation of a term paper comparing Ireland's pharmacy system with that in the United States. Pre- and post-travel surveys were conducted to assess students' perceptions of and learning from the experience, and to identify areas for course improvement. Results. Students' evaluations of the course and travel experiences were positive. However, students' perceptions of their cultural awareness were largely unchanged. Conclusion. The course was well received by students. Other PharmD programs may benefit from implementing similar study abroad experiences.