Advancing Women’s Health at the Point of Care

Q: Can you tell us about your role and your background?

Eric Sughrue (ES): Over the last 24 years, I have worked in various commercial roles, supporting hospital systems and outpatient facilities in identifying needs and implementing solutions to enhance patient care. As a Fisher Healthcare business development executive, I am responsible for supporting customers in alternate sites and non-acute testing locations by expanding their point-of-care testing capabilities, which is crucial for improving patient outcomes and operational efficiencies for individual facilities and larger healthcare systems.

Q: What shifts are you seeing in diagnostic testing today, especially in the non-acute space?

ES: One of the biggest shifts is the move from centralized core lab to point-of-care testing. The need for faster results, improved efficiency, and timely treatment is driving this change. Key factors include:

• Speed of Results: Same-day results enable faster clinical decisions
• Decentralization of Care: Testing is moving into physician offices, urgent care centers, and clinics
• Time to Treatment: Quicker diagnoses support more immediate interventions

This transition is especially important in women’s health, where fast, reliable diagnostics can improve early detection and reduce barriers to care.

Q: How is this impacting women’s health specifically?

ES: Patients are seeking convenient, timely care, driving demand in urgent care settings and physician offices. Their experience is improved when they can quickly consult with a clinician. Meanwhile, hospitals and health systems are focused on diagnosing and treating patients efficiently, accurately, and cost-effectively. In women’s health, this highlights the value of point-of-care testing. From routine STI screenings to urgent care visits, rapid diagnostic results can make a meaningful impact. Providers can often test and treat in a single visit. For example, a 30-minute molecular STI test supports timely treatment and eliminates delays from traditional lab processing and follow-up appointments.

Q: What kinds of point-of-care solutions are available for women’s health testing?

ES: Point-of-care solutions in women’s health are designed to deliver fast, actionable results during patient visits, supporting timely diagnoses and treatment decisions. These testing options can be used in a variety of care settings to address conditions such as reproductive health infections, pregnancy health, STIs, and UTIs. Advances in molecular testing have expanded the capabilities of point-of-care technologies. New solutions accelerate diagnostics and often connect directly to LIS systems for streamlined workflow integration. By providing results at or near the point of care, these tools help improve access and support better outcomes across the continuum of women’s health.

Q: What makes these platforms attractive to healthcare providers?

ES: They’re designed for easy adoption, with intuitive interfaces, small footprints, and minimal training, allowing care teams to integrate them with minimal impact on existing workflows. Many platforms are also CLIA-waived and reimbursable, enabling providers to perform tests onsite, receive reimbursement, and minimize the need for outsourced lab work, all while improving patient outcomes and reducing follow-up care costs.

Q: What is the impact for patients?

ES: For patients, it’s about convenience, clarity, and compassion. They get answers before leaving the clinic, avoiding the stress and delay of portal logins or missed phone calls. Timely results mean timely treatment, which leads to better outcomes and a more human experience in care. Point-of-care testing in women’s health helps ensure that issues are promptly addressed, enhancing both the quality of care and patient satisfaction.

Q: What are some common concerns around adopting point-of-care technologies, and how can they be addressed?

ES: One challenge is mindset. Many systems are still rooted in centralized lab workflows. Healthcare providers may also have concerns around SKU management, integration, or reimbursement. But, with the right strategy, support, and partner, these challenges can be effectively managed. The Fisher Healthcare channel works closely with customers to evaluate solutions, streamline onboarding, and help ensure technologies align with both clinical and business goals.

Q: How does the Fisher Healthcare channel support customers through this transition?

ES: The Fisher Healthcare channel is dedicated exclusively to laboratory and diagnostic needs, offering a unique partnership approach. With robust experience and expertise in diagnostic solutions, we help ensure our customers receive the most comprehensive and effective support available, extending into their point-of-care testing needs. We collaborate closely with providers and administrators to identify the right point-of-care technologies for their specific care settings. From product selection to implementation, we provide hands-on support every step of the way. Our goal is to help customers realize the full clinical and operational value of point-of-care testing, particularly in high-impact areas like women’s health.

Q: Do you have any final thoughts?

ES: Point-of-care testing is redefining care delivery, empowering providers to make faster clinical decisions, support timely treatment, and promote more efficient, connected care. In women’s health, it’s opening new possibilities for more accessible, personalized testing that helps improve outcomes across a range of conditions. As diagnostics become more advanced and integrated into care workflows, they are emerging as a strategic driver of growth across every service line. By adopting point-of-care solutions, health systems can enhance the patient experience and position themselves at the forefront of modern, patient-centered care.