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Pathologists are board-certified physicians who practice the medical specialty of pathology. They complete medical school training followed by pathology residency training. Many will go on to complete subspecialty training called fellowships. Similar to a radiologist who reviews X-rays, pathologists review laboratory tests, both anatomic and clinical.

Pathologists are responsible for directing the laboratory in which you had tests performed. Directors of hospital laboratories spend a significant amount of time and effort in fulfilling their responsibility to the patient for quality laboratory services. The pathologist is professionally responsible and legally accountable for laboratory results.

Federal certification standards and Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations standards require certain professional, organizational, and administrative services be provided in the clinical laboratory to assure quality laboratory services to patients.

Pathologist's professional responsibilities include:

• Assuring that tests, examinations, and procedures are properly performed, recorded and reported;

• Interacting with members of the medical staff regarding issues of laboratory operations, quality, and test availability;

• Designing protocols and establishing parameters for performance of clinical testing;

• Recommending appropriate follow-up diagnostic tests, when appropriate;

• Supervising laboratory technicians and advising technicians regarding aberrant results;

• Selecting, evaluating, and validating test methodologies;

• Directing, performing, and evaluating quality assurance and control procedures;

• Evaluating clinical laboratory data and establishing a process for review of test results prior to issuance of patient reports;

• Assuring the hospital laboratory's compliance with state licensure laws, Medicare conditions, Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations standards, the College of American Pathologists Laboratory Accreditation Program and federal certification standards.

• Surgical Pathology

  • Breast pathology

  • Cytopathology

  • Dermatopathology

  • Gastrointestinal and pancreatobiliary pathology

  • Thoracic pathology

  • Gynecologic pathology

  • Genitourinary pathology

  • Head & Neck pathology

  • Neuropathology

  • Soft tissue & bone pathology

• Clinical Pathology Oversight

  • Clinical chemistry

  • Coagulation testing

  • Hematology and Hematopathology

  • Microbiology

  • Molecular pathology

  • Transfusion medicine

Anatomic pathology encompasses surgical pathology and cytopathology. Surgical pathology is the evaluation and interpretation of tissue samples or resections obtained by your surgeon or physician. This is done grossly (macroscopic) and histologically (microscopic). Pathologists are able to accurately diagnosis disease or absence of disease by reviewing specimens. Specimens come in varying shapes and sizes, from a 2 mm colon polyp obtained by a gastroenterologist at colonoscopy to a breast lumpectomy resected by a skilled breast surgeon. Pathologists may often need special stains, immunohistochemical stains, or other ancillary tests to ensure accurate diagnosis.

Surgical pathologists are supported by a large laboratory team. Pathologist Assistants aid in the gross review of specimens and submission of necessary tissue sections for slide creation. Gross room technicians process the tissue overnight in specialized machines & fixatives. The following day, histotechnologists cut razor thin tissue sections and prepare glass slides for review by the pathologist. Histotechnologists are also skilled in preparing special stains and immunohistochemical stains; each of these steps require knowledge and time for creation. The complexity of the specimen or disease will often dictate how fast a pathologist can accurately and precisely communicate with your surgeon or physician.

Pathologists often assist surgeons intraoperatively for immediate diagnosis via a process called 'frozen section' which may change operative management. A frozen section can be necessary for the best possible patient care. Pathology Assistants and gross room technicians are essential in making this a rapid process.

Cytopathology is microscopic review of tissue, but in much much smaller, less invasive quantities. Examples of specimens reviewed by cytopathologists include gynecologic pap smears, thyroid fine needle aspirates, and lung core biopsies. Samples are often obtained by a radiologist. Since samples are so small, adequacy (the presence of adequate cellularity to evaluate) may be requested, whereby a pathologist attends the biopsy along with the clinician or radiologist to determine if the specimen is adequate for additional processing or not.

Testing is performed at Northwest Community Healthcare; however, certain ancillary tests will be sent to specialized laboratories. In the case of malignancy/cancer treating physicians may also request tissue be submitted to other specialized laboratories to aid in treatment options.

Oversight of the Clinical Pathology laboratories helps to ensure accurate and timely laboratory results being released. Clinical chemistry, hematology and coagulation, immunology, microbiology, molecular pathology, and transfusion medicine are overseen by the pathologists. Testing is performed at Northwest Community Healthcare by trained medical technologists/medical laboratory scientists. Certain tests not performed at Northwest Community Healthcare are sent to reference laboratories.