Pulse: Who Controls the Diagnostic Front Door?

This week on LabReflex Pulse, Dr. Chris Zahner and Dr. Aakash Bhatia dive into a series of stories that all point toward a bigger shift happening inside laboratory medicine: diagnostics are becoming infrastructure.From Nebraska rapidly validating an Andes virus PCR assay during a hantavirus scare… to Epic and Labcorp deepening diagnostic workflow integration… to AI pathology consolidation and real-time infectious disease surveillance dashboards — the organizations controlling diagnostic workflows may increasingly shape the future of healthcare itself.This week’s topics:Nebraska’s rapid Andes virus PCR responseFollowing a hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship, the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory rapidly validated an Andes virus PCR assay before exposed passengers arrived in the United States. The story raises major questions about rare-pathogen preparedness and rapid assay deployment in the post-COVID era.WIRED coverage:https://www.wired.com/story/race-to-develop-andes-hantavirus-test/CDC Health Alert:https://www.cdc.gov/han/php/notices/han00528.htmlWHO outbreak notice:https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2026-DON600Epic + Labcorp integration: interoperability or market positioning?Labcorp announced expanded integration with Epic Aura, giving Epic users broader access to Labcorp’s testing menu and specialty diagnostics workflows. Chris and Aakash discuss whether EHR workflow design may increasingly influence diagnostic utilization — and whether hospital outreach laboratories should be paying closer attention.Labcorp announcement:https://ir.labcorp.com/news-releases/news-release-details/labcorp-and-epic-expand-collaboration-advance-diagnosticARUP launches infectious disease positivity dashboardARUP introduced a national infectious disease positivity trends dashboard using deidentified laboratory data to help identify emerging patterns and seasonal shifts. The episode explores whether large reference laboratories are quietly becoming real-time public health surveillance networks.ARUP announcement:https://www.aruplab.com/news/05-13-2026/arup-launches-national-infectious-disease-test-positivity-trendsRoche acquires PathAIRoche announced plans to acquire digital pathology company PathAI in a major move signaling that AI pathology is transitioning from experimental technology to enterprise infrastructure.Roche announcement:https://www.roche.com/media/releases/med-cor-2026-05-07Reuters coverage:https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/switzerlands-roche-agrees-acquire-us-based-pathai-2026-05-07/Quick Hit: Cepheid Xpert GI PanelCepheid received IVDR CE marking for its multiplex GI PCR panel, capable of detecting 11 gastrointestinal pathogens in approximately 75 minutes. The conversation touches on the continued expansion of rapid syndromic molecular testing and what it may mean for the future of microbiology workflows.FDA summary:https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cdrh_docs/reviews/K251721.pdfCepheid announcement:https://www.morningstar.com/news/pr-newswire/20260513la58308/cepheid-receives-ce-marking-under-ivdr-for-xpert-gi-panelSubscribe to LabReflex!For more conversations at the intersection of laboratory medicine, diagnostics, pathology, and healthcare strategy, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.