Pathology Assistant - Per Diem - Clinical Laboratory - Marina Hospital
About The Position
The Pathologists' Assistant provides professional services in Anatomic Pathology, including gross examination and dissection of tissue specimens, support for pathologists and residents, and assistance with teaching activities. The position may also support quality assurance reporting and clinical research. All duties are performed with sensitivity to the developmental issues of the patient population served. The role includes surgical specimen accessioning and examination; assistance with intraoperative consultations and postmortem examinations; specimen identification, quality assessment, documentation, and triage; and operation and maintenance of designated laboratory equipment. The Pathologists' Assistant also contributes to research and procedure development, quality assurance, resident education, and special projects.
Requirements
- Master's degree from an accredited Pathologists' Assistant program.
- Pathologist Assistant Certification (PA) issued by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP).
Nice To Haves
- One year of experience as a Pathologists' Assistant.
Responsibilities
- Performs gross examination and dissection of surgical specimens, including biopsies, using appropriate anatomy knowledge and prosection techniques.
- Ensures proper accessioning, selects representative tissue sections for histologic examination, and requests special procedures, stains, imaging, photography, or other studies as appropriate.
- Assists pathologists and residents with intraoperative consultation services, including frozen sections, touch preparations, slide staining, gross examination documentation, image and diagram annotation, and freezing of muscle or nerve tissue when required.
- Provides technical assistance with postmortem examinations when required, including preparation, organ procurement, completion of the examination, photography, and radiographic imaging.
- Collaborates in research and the development and implementation of new procedures, methodologies, and quality assurance protocols.
- Verifies specimen identification using required patient identifiers, assesses specimen quality, and takes appropriate action when discrepancies or processing concerns are identified.
- Documents cassette counts, histology protocols, tissue-processing requirements, specimen-panel information, and applicable billing codes accurately.
- Prioritizes and triages specimens based on case volume, complexity, processing requirements, and turnaround-time expectations; adjusts to variable workloads and assists with efficient specimen processing.
- Operates and maintains designated laboratory equipment and documents non-conforming events, corrective actions, policy reviews, and implementation of new procedures, methodologies, and quality-assurance processes.
- Documents review of policies and procedures and supports implementation of new processes.
- Provides education and technical guidance to pathology residents regarding gross examination, prosection procedures, and dissection techniques.
- Assists with special projects or assignments.
