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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.
By 2025, the Millennial Generation Will Dominate Lab, Pathology Workforce
This is an excerpt of a 2,576-word article in the July 22, 2019 issue of THE DARK REPORT (TDR). The full articles are available to members of The Dark Intelligence Group. CEO SUMMARY: Within five years, members of the millennial generation will make up 75% of the physician workforce in…
Anthem Rolling Out More Anatomic Path Price Cuts
CEO SUMMARY: Anthem is making big changes to its relationships with anatomic pathology groups. Getting most of the attention at the moment are the insurer’s letters announcing price cuts for anatomic pathology services of 50% to 70% of Medicare fees. But another major change may also tr…
AP Practices Cautioned to Focus on Expenses
CEO SUMMARY: Reviewing an AP practice’s expenses is vitally important today when payers are cutting reimbursement. In the past, government and private payers paid more for the technical and professional components of anatomic pathology work, but those rates have eroded. While conversati…
Labs Should Heed Lessons from Huge Data Breach
CEO SUMMARY: Following news last month about the biggest breach of personal health information in the clinical lab industry, lawyers representing some of the affected patients filed at least 12 class action lawsuits. Federal officials and attorneys general in multiple states also launched…
Anthem Rolling Out New Pathology CPT Code Cuts
This is a synopsis of a 2,120-word article in the July 1, 2019 issue of THE DARK REPORT (TDR). The full articles are available to members of The Dark Intelligence Group. CEO SUMMARY: Anthem is making big changes to its relationships with anatomic pathology (AP) groups. Getting most o…
Pathologists Bio-Med Labs Is Purchased by PathGroup
TWO ANATOMIC PATHOLOGY SUPERGROUPS in two different regions joined forces this month. This happened when PathGroup of Nashville, acquired Pathologists Bio-Medical Laboratories (PBM) of Dallas. Both groups are similar in that they are very large and do a combination …
Improve Your AP Group’s Financial Performance
CEO SUMMARY: Across the nation, health insurers are paying less for anatomic pathology services. This shrinks pathology group revenue and reduces pathologist compensation. Savvy pathology groups are responding to this trend by reviewing long-standing processes in their coding, billing, an…
AP Groups Can Protect Revenue, Pathologist Compensation
CEO SUMMARY: Many anatomic pathology groups are watching their revenue decline and margins shrink on the same or greater case volume. These trends make it imperative to have a deeper understanding of the operational and financial variables that contribute to stability in the group’s fi…
Patient Care Focus Helps Path Group Win Contract
CEO SUMMARY: When Ascension Wisconsin wanted one pathology group to serve its needs statewide, North Shore Pathologists responded to the request for proposal by focusing on how pathologists can improve patient care through a patient-centered model. Other pathology groups responded with pr…
Boyce & Bynum Sells to Quest Diagnostics
CEO SUMMARY: With the year end approaching, lab buyers and sellers are working to finalize deals that may have been in discussion for months. The first big lab acquisition for this season came on Nov. 27, when Quest Diagnostics announced it was acquiring Boyce and Bynum Pathology Laborato…
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