Case Study: TriCore Reference Laboratories achieves 40% reduction in pre‑term births and $4.4M in savings with InterSystems HealthShare

TriCore Reference Laboratories Transforms to the Clinical Lab 2.0 Model with InterSystems HealthShare and Rhodes Group Software

TriCore Reference Laboratories, a New Mexico clinical reference lab, faced shrinking reimbursements and commodity status as Medicare and other payers cut laboratory payments. Rather than only cutting costs, TriCore adopted a Clinical Lab 2.0 strategy to increase its value to care teams and payers by extending services and generating actionable insights from lab data.

Using Rhodes Group software with InterSystems HealthShare and IRIS to aggregate and normalize real‑time longitudinal lab results with claims data, TriCore’s analytics enabled faster, more complete identification of pregnant members and gaps in care. In a statewide MCO pilot focused on prenatal/postpartum care, the program found 65% of pregnancies missing from claims, identified 77% in the first trimester, and produced outcomes including a 40% reduction in pre‑term births, 33% lower NICU occupancy, 10% fewer ED visits, and $4.38M in direct savings and avoided penalties—while creating new revenue opportunities for the lab.

TriCore Reference Laboratories

Michael Crossey

CEO & President