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Pathology group
A pathology group is an organization of clinical pathologists working on the diagnosis of disease based on laboratory analysis of bodily fluids such as blood and urine, as well as tissues, using the tools of chemistry, clinical microbiology, hematology and molecular pathology. Clinical pathologists work in close collaboration with medical technologists, hospital administrations, and referring physicians.
The business model of a pathology group has traditionally been as a private group practice, including solo practitioner, medical group partnership, professional corporation (PC), limited liability company (LLC), and similar professional business organizations. It is common for pathology groups to have contracts with one or more hospitals to provide anatomic pathology professional services and clinical pathology professional services.
Pathology itself is a significant component of the causal study of disease and a major field in modern medicine and diagnosis. The term pathology may be used broadly to refer to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of bioscience research fields and medical practices, or more narrowly to describe work within the contemporary medical field of “general pathology,” which includes a number of distinct but inter-related medical specialties which diagnose disease mostly through the analysis of tissue, cell, and body fluid samples.
Pathologists in hospital labs and pathology groups practice as consultant physicians, developing and applying knowledge of tissue and laboratory analyses to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of individual patients. As scientists, they use the tools of laboratory science in clinical studies, disease models, and other experimental systems, to advance the understanding and treatment of disease.
Clinical pathologists in a pathology group administer a number of visual and microscopic tests and an especially large variety of tests of the biophysical properties of tissue samples involving automated analyzers and cultures. Sometimes the general term “laboratory medicine specialist” is used to refer to those working in clinical pathology, including medical doctors, PhDs and doctors of pharmacology.
Immunopathology, the study of an organism’s immune response to infection, is sometimes considered to fall within the domain of clinical pathology.
Becoming a pathologist entails one of the lengthiest education and training tracks of all physicians. Requirements include four years of undergraduate study, plus four years of medical school, plus a minimum of four to five years of post-graduate training in pathology residency.
Smaller Pathology Groups Explore Consolidation
CEO SUMMARY: In eastern Washington State, InCyte Pathology is developing a strategy that may well be repeated many times over in the coming years. As older pathologists who run smaller groups look to retire, they will consider selling their group practices to larger entities inte…
InCyte Pathology Buys DSM Lab in Walla Walla
CEO SUMMARY: For the nation’s thousands of private pathology group practices, consolidation is now a growing trend. The latest example is last week’s acquisition of the three-pathologist practice known as the Davis-Sameh-Meeker Laboratory in Walla Walla, Washington, by InCyte…
Re-shaping the Profession of Anatomic Pathology
WHEN JANUARY 1, 2011, ARRIVED, IT MARKED AN IMPORTANT MILESTONE for the anatomic pathology profession. That is the day that the oldest pathologists in the Baby Boomer generation turned 65 years old and became eligible for Social Security and Medicare. This is an event we have discussed our entire ad…
Lack of Succession Plan Now Hurts Many Labs
CEO SUMMARY: Throughout the past decade, laboratory administrators and pathologists have been reminded about the importance of having a succession plan in their laboratory. Now one veteran lab industry CEO says the lack of a succession plan, unexpected retirements, the d…
Time to Think About ACOs And Medical Homes
CEO SUMMARY: In less than nine months—on January 1, 2012—the new health reform legislation mandates that Medicare commence value-based purchasing. Medicare must also begin contracting with accountable care organizations (ACO). Experts say these two developments will initiate …
Pathology Group Establishes Lab Test Exchange Networks
CEO SUMMARY: After several decades of steadfastly maintaining their independence from other pathology groups in their community, progressive hospital-based pathology groups are beginning to create regional laboratory testing networks. These collaborations generally start small an…
Seeking Market Clout, Labs Form Networks
CEO SUMMARY: Meet “Test Exchange Networks!” These are shared laboratory testing networks that have spontaneously appeared in different communities across the nation. Typically two or more local laboratories come together and begin to collaborate by sharing any number of resources. The…
Using Audits to Uncover Bad Data in the Lab
CEO SUMMARY: Labs using Lean, Six Sigma, and similar quality management methods are now putting these tools to a new purpose. They are being employed to validate the accuracy of metrics designed to monitor and manage work processes directly related to turnaround times and custome…
Surprises in KLAS Rating of Anatomic Path Systems
CEO SUMMARY: KLAS Research published its Top 20 Best in KLAS Awards in December and ranked Psyche WindoPath the top system in two categories. KLAS, which rates as many as 56 categories of healthcare software and professional services products in its annual report, does not provid…
How Labs Should Comply With New Signature Rule
CEO SUMMARY: Across the nation, clinical laboratories and pathology groups are reacting to the new Medicare rule that requires a physician signature on a paper requisition for clinical laboratory tests. Laboratories using paper requisitions will need to add a signature line, then…
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