By Jaime A. Nieto Sierra, DBA, MHA and Apoorv Kumar
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this article, the reader will be able to:
- Define laboratory diagnostic stewardship
- Describe outcomes of an organization’s stewardship program
- Identify actionable test utilization practices
Jaime A. Nieto Sierra, DBA, MHA is a retired U.S. Air Force veteran and a published, award-winning, social sciences researcher with a rich array of skills and over 17 years of leadership experience in healthcare and life sciences administration. He currently serves as the Director of Operations for Ambulatory Services and Pathology General at Kaiser Permanente’s Greater Southern Alameda Area. Prior to joining Kaiser, Jaime served in the U.S. Air Force, where he held leadership positions in various healthcare settings, including academic institutions, clinical lab and investigation facilities, and hospitals of varying sizes, including mid-sized and large facilities His areas of expertise include business strategy, project management, organizational behavior, organizational learning, and regulatory compliance.
Apoorv Kumar began his career in the heart of preventative medicine vaccines—working with Bharat Biotech, one of India’s largest vaccine manufacturers. In this role, he led the commercialization of critical vaccines, including efforts to expand access to the company’s COVID -19 vaccine across global markets. His work included building out supply chains and forging long-term partnerships across Latin America, where he negotiated major contracts with multilateral agencies. These experiences, though deeply impactful, revealed the immense pressure that infectious diseases place on an already strained health system. This realization spurred Apoorv to explore the healthcare provider
segment and its operational challenges more closely. Through consulting engagements with Marin Health and an internship with Kaiser Permanente, he immersed himself in the strategic and financial decision-making processes of health systems. Currently pursuing a dual MBA/MPH at the University of California, Berkeley, Apoorv brings a unique lens that bridges biopharma innovation, public health, and hospital operations. He is passionate about ensuring that high-quality healthcare can be delivered as efficiently as possible to as many people as possible.
Course Includes
- 1 Article
- 1 Test
- Course Certificate
MLO and Northern Illinois University (NIU), DeKalb, IL, are co-sponsors in offering continuing education units (CEUs) for this issue’s CE article. CEUs or contact hours are granted by the College of Health and Human Sciences at Northern Illinois University, which has been approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® program. Continuing education credits awarded for successful completion of this test are acceptable for the ASCP Board of Registry Continuing Competence Recognition Program. Readers who pass the test successfully (scoring 70% or higher) will receive a certificate for 1 contact hour of P.A.C.E.® credit. The fee for this continuing education test is $20. This test was prepared by Amanda Voelker, MPH, MT(ASCP), MLS, Clinical Education Coordinator, School of Health Studies, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL.
Level of Instruction: Intermediate
Passing scores of 70 percent or higher are eligible for 1 contact hour of P.A.C.E. credit. This test is no longer valid for CEUs after August 2026.
NIU is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E. ® Program.