Laboratory director Sudha Rathie has been with Piedmont Health Services for 35 years and has increased the number of labs from three to 12 — each at a PHS community health center for maximum efficiency in getting test results back to patients. She started the very day she interviewed for the job with Piedmont medical director Ned Kelly, who told her that it would be her job to make the labs “A-plus.”
One of the ways Rathie cut costs of testing has been by working directly with the vendors and manufacturers.
“I asked them, ‘Would you come take a look at this health center where I’m working, let me show you what we are doing for the community, be a part of our community.’ And that’s how I was able to get the vendors in who could understand that they are not doing it for me,” said Rathie. “They are doing it for the community. And, you know, 90 percent of those vendors are still with us.”
Over the years, Rathie has represented Piedmont Health at the state and national level, making presentations to other community health centers in how to improve testing while keeping costs down. She was asked to write a manual on the procedures she developed, and more than 70,000 copies have been printed and distributed.
“In the late eighties and early nineties, when teen pregnancy was on the rise, we decided to offer a free pregnancy test to anybody who walks into the door of Piedmont,” Rathie said.
Rathie has had opportunities to leave Piedmont through the years, but considers it home. Her children joke that she has two husbands — their father, and Piedmont Health.
“We used to make fun that everybody’s family is like an open secret. Everybody knew who’s getting married, who was going out with who and all that. Christmas get-together was always at somebody’s house and was wonderful, so very small, but everybody knew everyone,” Rathie said.
“Reflections” is a recurring series on Chapelboro.com sponsored by Piedmont Health Services that will highlight local healthcare professionals striving with purpose and passion to keep our community happy, healthy and thriving.
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