TAG:
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.
Piedmont Med Lab Mixes ISO with Lean & Six Sigma
By Robert Michel | From the Volume XV No. 12 – September 8, 2008 Issue
CEO SUMMARY: Piedmont Medical Laboratory (PML) could be the only clinical laboratory ever to pursue three quality improvement initiatives simultaneously. Even as it was in the early stages of implementing both Lean and Six Sigma methods, PML also decided to seek ISO 15189:2007 accreditati…
ISO 15189 Is the Goal at Avera McKennan Lab
By Robert Michel | From the Volume XV No. 12 – September 8, 2008 Issue
CEO SUMMARY: Now entering its ninth month on the path to accreditation under ISO 15189:2007 Medical Laboratories, Avera McKennan’s lab recently completed its “gap analysis.” This important step prepared the laboratory for the pre-assessment and assessment steps that will result in a…
Two Healthcare Trends Collide on These Pages
By R. Lewis Dark | From the Volume XV No. 11 – August 18, 2008 Issue
THIS ISSUE OF THE DARK REPORT YOU NOW HOLD IN YOUR HANDS demonstrates the perfect intersection of two trends. One trend, transparency in health outcomes and a public expectation of reduced medical errors, is a direct threat to laboratories which fail to deliver high-quality and accur…
First U.S. Labs Nearing ISO:15189 Accreditation
By Robert Michel | From the Volume XV No. 11 – August 18, 2008 Issue
CEO SUMMARY: Laboratories, hospitals, and other health-care providers in the United States will increasingly be required to adopt quality management systems (QMS) as part of their regular operational routine. This is consistent with trends in other developed countries. Several U.S. labora…
Independent Labs Won’t Get Medicare PQRI Bonuses
By Robert Michel | From the Volume XV No. 11 – August 18, 2008 Issue
CEO SUMMARY: Medicare does not intend to make bonus payments this year to independent labs currently reporting quality information for breast and colon cancer cases. The federal claims payment system is unable to pay independent labs for participating in the federal physician quality repo…
Successful Laboratories in the Future Will Brand Themselves, Add Value
By Robert Michel | From the Volume XV No. 11 – August 18, 2008 Issue
“There is an opportunity for the laboratories to become more proactive with health plans. Pathologists are reading the literature and know specifically which diagnostics tests should be performed before expensive imaging procedures are ordered.” —Kerry Kaplan, Presid…
Labs Should Build Payer Relationships to Improve Commodity Pricing
By Robert Michel | From the Volume XV No. 10 – July 28, 2008 Issue
“Health plans are interested in improving outcomes and saving money on complex, expensive cases because that’s where the money is. At the same time, that’s an opportunity for labs to help health plans cut costs while also improving quality. ” —Kerry Kaplan, Presi…
Is Digital Path Imaging Ready for Prime Time?
By Robert Michel | From the Volume XV No. 9 – July 7, 2008 Issue
CEO SUMMARY: Digital pathology imaging systems are finding uses in all phases of drug discovery (discovery, pre-clinical, clinical trials), as well as education, research, and clinical. One hurdle to widespread adoption of fully digitized, whole-slide pathology imaging systems is FDA clea…
NPI Rules Slow Payments to Pathology Groups, Labs
By Robert Michel | From the Volume XV No. 8 – June 16, 2008 Issue
CEO SUMMARY: New rules requiring use of National Provider Identification (NPI) numbers took effect on May 23. Since then, Medicare carriers and payers nationwide have rejected claims from pathologists and other providers that do not comply with the new NPI rules. A missing NPI on just one…
War College 2008 Theme: Get Close to Customers!
By Robert Michel | From the Volume XV No. 7 – May 27, 2008 Issue
CEO SUMMARY: Over the course of two days, pathologists, lab directors, and other laboratory professionals repeatedly heard speakers urge them to work hard to ensure that customers are the top priority for their laboratory organization. Another theme is the need for labs to organize their …
CURRENT ISSUE

Volume XXXII, No. 6 – April 21, 2025
Now that a federal judge has vacated the FDA’s LDT rule, The Dark Report analyzes the judgement and notes the various steps the FDA could take in response. Also, lab testing at pharmacies is proving to be less successful than was once anticipated.
See the full table of contentsHow Much Laboratory Business Intelligence Have You Missed?
Lab leaders rely on THE DARK REPORT for actionable intelligence on important developments in the business of laboratory testing. Maximize the money you make-and the money you keep! Best of all, it is released every three weeks!
Sign up for TDR Insider
Join the Dark Intelligence Group FREE and get TDR Insider FREE!
Never miss a single update on the issues that matter to you and your business.
Topics
- Anatomic Pathology
- Clinical Chemistry
- Clinical Laboratory
- Clinical Laboratory Trends
- Digital Pathology
- Genetic Testing
- In Vitro Diagnostics
- IVD/Lab Informatics
- Lab Intelligence
- Lab Marketplace
- Lab Risk & Compliance
- Laboratory Automation
- Laboratory Billing
- Laboratory Compliance
- Laboratory Equipment
- Laboratory Information Systems
- Laboratory Management
- Lean Six Sigma
- Managed Care Contracts
- Molecular Diagnostics
- Pathology Trends
- People
- Uncategorized