Rod Markin

Last updated
Rodney S. Markin
Dr. Rod MarkinHeadShot 01212021.jpg
Dr. Rod Markin
Born
Rodney Smith Markin

1956
Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S.
Education
OccupationPathologist, entrepreneur
Known forLaboratory automation

Rodney Smith Markin (born 1956), is an American pathologist and authority in the field of laboratory automation. [1] In 1993, he designed and created one of the world's first automated clinical laboratory specimen, device and analyzer management systems. [2] In the mid-1990s, he chaired a standards group called the Clinical Testing Automation Standards Steering Committee (CTASSC) of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry, [3] [4] which later evolved into an area committee of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. [5]

Contents

Markin serves as the Vice President for Business Development and practices pathology at Nebraska Medicine, is associate vice chancellor for business development for the University of Nebraska Medical Center, [6] and executive director of the UNeTech Institute of the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska Omaha. He serves as both the David T. Purtilo Professor in the Department of Pathology and Microbiology in UNMC's College of Medicine as well as the Executive Director of the UNeTech Institute. . [7] Prior to his current position, he was the chief operating officier of the University of Nebraska system, the chief technology officer at UNMC, interim dean of the UNMC College of Medicine, board chairman and president and CEO of the Nebraska Medicine clinical practice plan (fka UNMC Physicians), an academic medical practice which includes more than 750 physicians, and has held several other administrative and academic positions at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. [8]

Early life

Markin was born and raised in Lincoln; he received a bachelor of science degree in 1977 from Nebraska Wesleyan University, where he majored in chemistry with a minor in mathematics and physics. He received a Ph.D. degree in chemistry from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in 1980; he earned his medical degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) in 1983; he completed his residency in pathology and laboratory medicine at UNMC in 1986. He has been on the UNMC faculty since 1986. His professional and academic research interests have focused on clinical laboratory automation including robotics, information systems, medical utilization management, business efficiency modeling, adult and pediatric pathology, liver/gastrointestinal pathology, telehealth, telemedicine, technology development and mobile health. [9]

Career

Laboratory automation development

Markin's interest in laboratory automation, blending clinical processes with information technology, began during his graduate studies, which focused on graph theory. By 1989, he developed a prototype system that would later allow "plug-and-play" integration of automation systems and clinical analyzers for managing and testing of patient specimens. His approach was to build an automated transport system which would allow various testing processes using commercial, off-the-shelf testing and collection systems. He didn't design the instruments, but sought an automated system to manage the testing processes, leading to increased efficiency, improved reporting and lower laboratory costs.

He founded LAB-InterLink in 1993, and commercialized a system to manage clinical specimens using an automated transportation system and specimen processing devices (i.e. decapping devices, recapping devices, instrument or analyzer interfaces, etc.) for laboratory testing and processing. For example, the specimen would be separated using a centrifuge; the specimen container would be uncapped; the specimen would be tested as ordered by the physician; the container would be recapped; and the specimen would be stored in the event further testing is needed. Test results were provided to the physician or provider as part of the software management system.

LAB-InterLink sold automation systems in North America and internationally, and offices were set up in the United States, Canada and Israel. In 2004, the U.S. company was sold to Cardinal Health and the Canadian company was sold to an investor group. [10] Today the technology of the U.S. company is controlled by Abbott Laboratories (2007) and the Canadian company was acquired by Cerner Corp. (2013)

University of Nebraska Medical Center

Markin was awarded the Ida Ittner Postdoctoral Fellowship studying lead toxicity in children from 1980–82, working in the laboratory of Dr. Carol R. Angle. In 2005, Markin was named the David T. Purtilo Professor of Pathology and Microbiology. Markin helped develop Children's Specialty Physicians, the pediatric practice plan for the UNMC College of Medicine at Children's Hospital & Medical Center. Markin also holds appointments in the Departments of Surgery and Psychiatry. Markin was inducted into the National Academy of Inventors Fellows Class of 2015. He has also received the Lifetime Achievement Award from UNeMed Corporation, UNMC's technology transfer office, for his innovations that have transformed the clinical laboratory.

Markin leads the telehealth initiative of UNMC and Nebraska Medicine. Since 2011, he has served as associate vice chancellor for business development and as chief technology officer. In October 2005, the U.S. Defense Department provided a grant to Markin and his team to design a new method for microbiology automation. Known as the Microbiology Automation Research Project, or "MARP," the project is designed to develop a broad platform that can be used in the clinical laboratory, including applications for bacteriology, mycology and virology. [11] Additionally, the project has potential uses for other applications, including bioterrorism testing, [12] and holds significant promise for the civilian sector. Markin holds several patents, and has written numerous industry articles on laboratory automation. [13] In 2000, he co-authored an article which provided a history of laboratory automation. [14] He is a member of the editorial boards of several industry publications, including the Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation (JALA). [15]

Personal and family

Markin lives in Omaha; with his wife, Betsy. He has two children, Nick and Chris, who live in Omaha and Chicago respectively. He also lives with his step-daughter Gracie and step-son Danny. On 9/11, Markin was on a plane in Canada when orders came out to ground all aircraft. The ensuing ordeal was captured in a theatrical production in Omaha. [16]

Related Research Articles

Pathology Study of the causes and effects of disease or injury; the way a given disease or injury presents itself.

Pathology is the study of the causes and effects of disease or injury. The word pathology also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in the context of modern medical treatment, the term is often used in a more narrow fashion to refer to processes and tests which fall within the contemporary medical field of "general pathology", an area which includes a number of distinct but inter-related medical specialties that diagnose disease, mostly through analysis of tissue, cell, and body fluid samples. Idiomatically, "a pathology" may also refer to the predicted or actual progression of particular diseases, and the affix pathy is sometimes used to indicate a state of disease in cases of both physical ailment and psychological conditions. A physician practicing pathology is called a pathologist.

Anatomical pathology

Anatomical pathology (Commonwealth) or Anatomic pathology (U.S.) is a medical specialty that is concerned with the diagnosis of disease based on the macroscopic, microscopic, biochemical, immunologic and molecular examination of organs and tissues. Over the last century, surgical pathology has evolved tremendously: from historical examination of whole bodies (autopsy) to a more modernized practice, centered on the diagnosis and prognosis of cancer to guide treatment decision-making in oncology. Its modern founder was the Italian scientist Giovan Battista Morgagni from Forlì.

Clinical chemistry Area of clinical pathology that is generally concerned with analysis of bodily fluids

Clinical chemistry is the area of chemistry that is generally concerned with analysis of bodily fluids for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. It is an applied form of biochemistry.

Automated analyser

An automated analyser is a medical laboratory instrument designed to measure different chemicals and other characteristics in a number of biological samples quickly, with minimal human assistance. These measured properties of blood and other fluids may be useful in the diagnosis of disease.

Clinical pathology

Clinical pathology is a medical specialty that is concerned with the diagnosis of disease based on the laboratory analysis of bodily fluids, such as blood, urine, and tissue homogenates or extracts using the tools of chemistry, microbiology, hematology and molecular pathology. This specialty requires a medical residency.

Medical laboratory scientist Medical professional who works in the laboratory

A medical laboratory scientist (MLS), also traditionally referred to as a clinical laboratory scientist (CLS), or medical technologist (MT), is a Medical professional who performs chemical, hematological, immunologic, histopathological, cytopathological, microscopic, and bacteriological diagnostic analyses on body fluids such as blood, urine, sputum, stool, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), peritoneal fluid, pericardial fluid, and synovial fluid, as well as other specimens. Medical laboratory scientists work in clinical laboratories at hospitals, reference labs, biotechnology labs and non-clinical industrial labs. Those that work in non clinical industrial labs are often referred to as biomedical laboratory technologist (BLT) in parts of the world.

The University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) is a public medical school in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded in 1869 and chartered as a private medical college in 1881, UNMC became part of the University of Nebraska System in 1902. Rapidly expanding in the early 20th century, the university founded a hospital, dental college, pharmacy college, college of nursing, and college of medicine. It later added colleges of public health and allied health professions. One of Omaha's top employers, UNMC has an annual budget of $741 million for 2018 to 2019, and an economic impact of $4.8 billion.

Laboratory informatics is the specialized application of information technology aimed at optimizing and extending laboratory operations. It encompasses data acquisition, instrument interfacing, laboratory networking, data processing, specialized data management systems, a laboratory information management system, scientific data management, and knowledge management. It has become more prevalent with the rise of other "informatics" disciplines such as bioinformatics, cheminformatics and health informatics. Several graduate programs are focused on some form of laboratory informatics, often with a clinical emphasis. A closely related - some consider subsuming - field is laboratory automation.

Medical Laboratory Assistants (MLAs) prepare, and in some cases process samples within a pathology laboratory. They also utilise pre-analytical systems in order for biomedical scientists (BMS) or Medical Laboratory Scientific Officers to process the biochemical tests requested on the sample. The majority of an MLA's time is spent in processing specimens. As such, the MLA has to have excellent knowledge of their particular sample acceptance policy, whilst obeying the data protection act, patient confidentiality, COSHH and the Caldicott rules.

Laboratory automation

Laboratory automation is a multi-disciplinary strategy to research, develop, optimize and capitalize on technologies in the laboratory that enable new and improved processes. Laboratory automation professionals are academic, commercial and government researchers, scientists and engineers who conduct research and develop new technologies to increase productivity, elevate experimental data quality, reduce lab process cycle times, or enable experimentation that otherwise would be impossible.

Home automation for the elderly and disabled focuses on making it possible for older adults and people with disabilities to remain at home, safe and comfortable. Home automation is becoming a viable option for older adults and people with disabilities who would prefer to stay in the comfort of their homes rather than move to a healthcare facility. This field uses much of the same technology and equipment as home automation for security, entertainment, and energy conservation but tailors it towards older adults and people with disabilities.

James "Jim" Linder is an American author, academic and businessperson, as well as an authority on university research commercialization. He serves as chief executive officer (CEO) of Nebraska Medicine, and most recently was president of the University Technology Development Corporation and chief strategist for the University of Nebraska system. He is also a professor of pathology and microbiology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Medical laboratory

A medical laboratory or clinical laboratory is a laboratory where tests are carried out on clinical specimens to obtain information about the health of a patient to aid in diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. Clinical Medical laboratories are an example of applied science, as opposed to research laboratories that focus on basic science, such as found in some academic institutions.

AACC is a global scientific society dedicated to clinical laboratory science and its application to healthcare. AACC's current president is Carmen Wiley, PhD, and the association headquarters are located in Washington, D.C..

The Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases is a research institute at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Dedicated in 1963, the mission of the Eppley Institute is to "[d]evelop superior research programs that will provide a better understanding of the causes of cancer, improve the methods for diagnosis of cancer and improve the methods for the treatment and prevention of cancer and similar disorders".

Sunquest Information Systems Inc. is a leading U.S. developer of medical laboratory and diagnostic information solutions, with a user base of more than 1,700 hospitals and commercial laboratories. It was founded in 1979.

Nebraska Medicine, is a private not-for-profit American healthcare company based in Omaha, Nebraska. The company was created as Nebraska Health System (NHS) in 1997, when Bishop Clarkson Hospital merged with the adjacent University Hospital in midtown Omaha. Renamed The Nebraska Medical Center in 2003, in 2014 the company merged with UNMC Physicians and Bellevue Medical Center to become Nebraska Medicine. The company has full ownership of two hospitals and 39 specialty and primary care clinics in and around Omaha, with partial ownership in two rural hospitals and a specialty hospital. Nebraska Medicine's main campus, Nebraska Medicine – Nebraska Medical Center, has 718 beds, while its Bellevue Medical Center campus has 91 beds.

Arvind Lal

Arvind Lal is an Indian billionaire, pathologist, medical administrator and the chairman and managing director of Dr Lal PathLabs, a medical diagnostic centre in Delhi. A medical graduate and a medical academic, he is reported to have modernized Indian medical diagnostics and initiated the first Public Private Partnership (PPP) in the field of laboratory testing in India. He holds the rank of a Brigadier in the Indian Armed Forces, an honorary rank conferred by the Army. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2009, for his contributions to Medicine.

Applied Spectral Imaging

Applied Spectral Imaging or ASI is a multinational biomedical company that develops and manufactures microscopy imaging and digital analysis tools for hospitals, service laboratories and research centers. The company provides cytogenetic, pathology and research laboratories with brightfield, fluorescence and spectral imaging clinical applications. Test slides can be scanned, captured, archived, reviewed on screen, analyzed with computer-assisted algorithms and reported. ASI system platforms automate the workflow process to reduce human error in the identification and classification of chromosomal disorders, genome instability, various oncological malignancies, among other diseases.

Sheritta A. Strong is an American adult psychiatrist and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Strong is a leader in education and advocacy at UNMC, and is the co-Director of Medical Student Education in the Department of Psychiatry as well as the Interim Director for Inclusion at UNMC. As a psychiatrist, Strong focuses her clinical attention on treating patients with chronic and persistent mental illness. She is also dedicated to reducing barriers to healthcare access for marginalized populations and she mentors underrepresented scientists and physicians to increase their retention in healthcare. In 2018, Strong was awarded the Nancy C.A. Roeske, M.D., Certificate of Recognition for Excellence in Medical Student Education by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and in 2020 Strong became a Distinguished Fellow of the APA.

References

  1. ↑ College of American Pathologists, CAP Today magazine, June 2002
  2. ↑ LIM Source, a laboratory information management systems resource
  3. ↑ Clinical Chemistry 46, No. 5, 2000, pgs. 246–250
  4. ↑ Health Management Technology magazine, October 1, 1995
  5. ↑ Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (formerly NCCLS)
  6. ↑ Dunker, Chris. "NU system identifies $25 million in cuts; president says more to come". JournalStar.com. Retrieved 2018-09-03.
  7. ↑ UNMC College of Medicine. [ verification needed ]
  8. ↑ Nebraska Medicine (about)
  9. ↑ UNMC website, retrieved January 12, 2021
  10. ↑ LAB-InterLink Canada
  11. ↑ UNMC PathologyNewsletter, 2005
  12. ↑ UNMC Today, Nov. 4, 2002
  13. ↑ Clinical Lab Management Association's Clinical Lab Management Review, May–June 1998
  14. ↑ American Association for Clinical Chemistry, Clinical Chemistry magazine, 46, pgs. 764–771
  15. ↑ Editorial Board, Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation
  16. ↑ UNMC doctor to relive 9/11 aftermath at Omaha debut of "Come From Away", by Betsie Freeman, Omaha.com, March 27, 2019, retrieved January 12, 2021
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.