In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Division of Clinical Microbiology at Mayo Clinic, is joined by William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, to discuss Mayo Clinic’s new collaboration with Thermo Fisher and the latest on the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA). Later, Dr. Pritt welcomes Matt Binnicker, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ chief scientific officer and a leader in novel diagnostics for viral infections, to explore seasonal virus activity.

• Mayo Clinic and Thermo Fisher collaboration (00:29): Explore how this initiative is turning early biological signals into opportunities for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
• PAMA preliminary rates (04:20): Get an overview of CMS's preliminary 2027 Medicare Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule based on data collected through PAMA.
• Virus update and outlook (08:30): Learn what experts are predicting for seasonal viruses this winter.
• Testing stewardship and innovation (15:43): Discover guidance for seasonal virus testing and how new advances are improving detection.

Resources

• Mayo Clinic News Network: Clinic and Thermo Fisher Scientific launch Precure, LLC to identify signs of disease before symptoms appear
• CMS: Preliminary Calendar Year (CY) 2027 Medicare Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule Payment Rates
• Respiratory viruses: Testing for early detection