[Histonet] Price per slide

[jstaruk]

I have read this article titled "Histo Procedures: Examining Costs" and must
say that this article is quite naive and I doubt very much that the author
signs all of the checks associated with producing one glass slide.  One
example is salary.  The author uses $15 to $25 per hour for what it costs
for labor.  What about the matching Social Security taxes, worker's Comp.
insurance, all of the various federal and state employee taxes and fees,
matching 401K, holidays, vacations, sick days I have to pay for?  My $20 per
hour employee actually costs me close to $40 per hour.  I didn't thoroughly
memorize this article, but I don't recall utilities (HVAC, electricity,
water and telephones) being added into the equation.  Then there's rent,
liability insurance, hazardous waste removal, chemicals and stains, dumpster
fees, the secretary that logs in the specimens, the grosser who processes
the specimen and the lab aide that labels the slides.   There's probably a
hundred other peripheral payments I make just to produce that one microscope
slide.  Finally, in the conclusion portion of the article, the author states
that is costs between $4.71 to $5.31 to gross in the specimen and prepare a
microscope slide.  If that were true, I'd be a very rich man!

Jim

_______________________
James E. Staruk HT(ASCP)
 www.masshistology.com
   www.nehorselabs.com
 
 

-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
[mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Lynette
Pavelich
Sent: Thursday, October 08, 2009 10:13 AM
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu; Sara Breeden
Subject: Re: [Histonet] Price per slide

There is an article written by Rene' Buesa in "Advance" for Medical
Laboratory Professionals, Jan 15, 2007.  You will find everything you
need in that article.  Very helpful.

Lynette

>>> "Breeden, Sara" <sbreeden <@t> nmda.nmsu.edu> 10/8/2009 9:37 AM >>>
My Daily Challenge is to figure out how much it costs me to produce
one
slide.  I hate reinventing the wheel and I know someone has already
either created a formula for doing this, or has a figure already
computed for a veterinary lab.  I know there would be some variables
(salary, cost of water, phase of the moon, etc.) but how did you do
it?
Thanks.