Pathologist Assistant- Orlando Health Watson Clinic Lakeland Highlands Hospital-Lakeland, FL

Orlando Health•Lakeland, FL

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Position Summary Responsible for the organization and efficient and effective operation of the surgical pathology suite and the anatomic pathology service. This may comprise personnel management including supervising accessioners, lab aides, grossing technicians, and transcriptionists in the surgical pathology suite and autopsy technicians/morgue assistants in the autopsy room; writing and reviewing surgical pathology and autopsy procedures; inventory control; laboratory operations such as quality assurance, quality control, accreditation inspection preparation, and budgeting; and in the academic setting, supervision of learners. Opening Summer 2026 at 4000 Lakeland Highlands Road, Lakeland, FL. The Orlando Health System of Care includes award-winning hospitals and ERs, specialty institutes, urgent care centers, primary care practices and outpatient facilities that span Florida’s east to west coasts, Central Alabama and Puerto Rico. Collectively, our dedicated team members honor our over 100-year legacy by providing professional and compassionate care to the patients, families and communities we serve. Join us! Combining the collective strengths of two powerhouse organizations, Orlando Health and the high-quality physicians at Watson Clinic are expanding access to award-winning specialty care for patients in Polk County and beyond. Opening in summer 2026, Orlando Health Watson Clinic Lakeland Highlands Hospital – a state-of-the-art, seven-story, multi-specialty hospital – will serve as a vital 550,000 square-foot healthcare hub offering: 300+ inpatient beds and 69 emergency and observation beds 11 operating rooms and four cardiac interventional suites Dedicated labor and delivery services – including a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) that will debut shortly after the hospital opens Comprehensive cardiovascular, neurology, and oncology services Advanced surgical procedures Join us in shaping the future of healthcare in Polk County as part of the Orlando Health Watson Clinic Lakeland Highlands Hospital opening team and share in the privilege of saying you were there from the very beginning. Benefits Beyond the Expected Orlando Health is committed to providing you with benefits that go beyond the expected, with career-growing FREE education programs and well-being services to support you and your family through every stage of life. We begin your benefits on day one and offer flexibility wherever possible, so that you can be present for your passions. “Orlando Health Is Your Best Place to Work” is not just something we say, it’s our promise to you.

Requirements

Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery MBBS
NAACLS accredited Pathologists’ Assistant
Certification as a Pathologists’ Assistant from the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification (ASCP BOC)
3-year supervised internship
ASCP BOC Pathologists’ Assistant Certified
5 years’ experience in anatomic pathology under the direction and supervision of a licensed, Board Certified or Board Eligible Anatomic Pathologist.

Responsibilities

Assure proper specimen collection and submission prior to accessioning.
Assist clinicians with specimen collection questions, triage of limited samples, and esoteric testing.
Assure appropriate specimen accessioning and/or verification of unique patient identifiers.
Assure proper specimen handling and fixation prior to processing.
Obtain and review pertinent clinical information and history, including imaging studies, laboratory results, and operative records.
Discuss cases and history with surgeons, clinicians, and pathologists.
Perform the macroscopic description and dissection of all surgical specimens ranging from simple to complex cases including pertinent macroscopic information for the staging of complex cancer cases.
Prepare and submit tissue sections for light microscopy.
Obtain samples for ancillary studies including, but not limited to:
Tumor triage
Lymphoma protocol
Flow cytometric analysis
Immunofluorescence
Immunohistochemistry
Microbial cultivation
Molecular microbiology
Cytogenetic analysis
Electron microscopy
Tissue banking and clinical trials
Research
Microarray
Institutional tumor registries.
Perform Surgical Pathology Special Procedures including, but not limited to:
Decalcification
Frozen section (tissue selection, dissection, embedding, mounting, cutting/staining, coverslipping)
Intraoperative consultation for evaluation of macroscopic specimen adequacy and margins
Muscle biopsy preparation
Assessment of renal biopsy specimens for adequacy by evaluation of the presence of glomeruli
Nerve biopsy orientation and preparation
Heart and other transplant biopsy preparation
Bone marrow aspirate and biopsy preparation
Touch preparations/imprints/squash preparations
Tumor mapping
Bone saw operation
Specimen photomacrography
Photomicrography
Specimen radiography
Slide scanning Postanalytical Tasks
Review of macroscopic description transcription.
Microscopic triage of surgical pathology cases for quality control and quality assurance purposes.
Coding
Verify the accuracy and editing of CPT codes.
Assign, review, and edit SNOMED codes.
Store and properly dispose of specimens.
Assist in the organization and coordination of surgical pathology conferences.
Assure proper maintenance of equipment and provision of adequate supplies.