Pathology

Pathology is the discipline in medicine that deals with causes and mechanisms of human disease and therefore is vital to the understanding of disease and its appropriate treatment. Pathology has evolved by the assimilation of knowledge gained through fields such as anatomy, physiology, physics, chemistry, microbiology, immunology, genetics, and cellular and molecular biology.

The Department of Pathology and Laboratories at NYHQ offers a full range of diagnostic
services in anatomic pathology and in clinical pathology (laboratory medicine) to both
hospitalized patients and out-patients. In anatomic pathology, diagnoses rendered by a
pathologist are based on a thorough examination of the tissues and cells in bodily fluids
sent for analysis by the primary care physician. Under the direction of pathologists, the clinical laboratories test results on blood and other body fluids and tissues to provide a primary diagnosis along with treatment options for disease. In some cases, the diagnosis of disease may be based solely on results from a pathology test or examination, and i other instances test results are used in conjunction with clinical information and radiographic findings to render a diagnosis. Since regulations prohibit the release of results directly to patients, they are provided to the ordering physician who will dispense and explain the information to the patient.

The Finest Laboratories

The Department of Pathology is accredited by the American College of Pathologists, the New York State Department of Health, and the JCAHO. In anatomic pathology, over 13,000 surgical specimens, including 2,000 intraoperative consultations ( frozen sections), and over 750 consultations from outside the institution are examined annually. Additionally, 100 autopsies are performed. The Cytology section has an active diagnostic program, providing fine needle aspiration and exfoliative cytology services in more than 6,000 cases each year.

Anatomic Pathology

Anatomic pathology is staffed by attending Pathologists with expertise in general surgical pathology and cytopathology, as well as in the following areas:

All staff physicians have academic appointments at Cornell University Medical College.

Clinical Laboratories

The clinical laboratories operate 24 hours a day, and perform more than three million individual tests annually. We offer a full range of diagnostic services in laboratory medicine with sections devoted to clinical chemistry, hematology, microbiology, immunology, and blood banking. The blood bank and transfusion division offers routine services and an active blood donor recruitment program, as well as direct and autologous donations and intraoperative blood salvage (IAT). The blood culture team and phlebotomy team support the acquisition of specimens for the department. An integrated laboratory information system ( Meditech) allows for rapid reporting and remote access to results for inpatient management, and Point of Care testing has been instituted for bedside glucose monitoring.

Through the institutional affiliation with the New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, the Department of Pathology at New York Hospital is actively engaged in providing additional educational and training opportunities in several areas, including:

There is a regular schedule of inter- and intradepartmental teaching conferences at NYHQ as well as opportunities for clinical research. A computer link with Cornell University Medical Center allows for literature searches, access to teaching modules, and telepathology and teleconferencing.

Charter Diagnostic Laboratories

Charter Diagnostic Laboratories (CDL) is the ambulatory division of the Department of Pathology and Laboratories at NYHQ with services equivalent to commercial laboratories. It offers:

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