Sr. Pathologists' Assistant

Join Our Team!

Are you an experienced Pathologists’ Assistant looking to grow your career while making a meaningful impact on patient care? At UPMC, our Pathologists’ Assistants play an essential role in supporting accurate diagnoses and delivering the right care, in the right way, at the right time.

Join the Histology Lab team at UPMC Passavant as a Senior Pathologists’ Assistant and bring your technical expertise, leadership, and commitment to excellence to a team dedicated to providing Life Changing Medicine.

Position: Full-Time Senior Pathologists’ Assistant

Department: Histology Lab

Location: UPMC Passavant

Shift: 8:30AM - 5PM; no weekends, holidays, or on-call shifts!

Rate of pay will be determined based on individual qualifications, experience, and education.

Sign-On Bonus Eligible!

Qualified candidates may be eligible to receive a sign-on bonus for this position:

• $15,000 for a two-year commitment OR
• $20,000 for a three-year commitment

Purpose

Under the general direction of the Manager or Supervisor and applicable Medical Director, the Senior Pathologists’ Assistant oversees and performs advanced activities related to the evaluation, examination, description, dissection, and sectioning of gross tissue in surgical and autopsy pathology for microscopic evaluation by Pathologists.

This role provides technical leadership to the Pathologists’ Assistant team and assists in the training of Pathology Fellows and Residents in gross surgical and autopsy pathology. The Senior Pathologists’ Assistant also performs specialized functions such as specimen photography and radiology and supports training, supervisory, quality, and administrative activities within the department.

Responsibilities

• Examine and prepare surgical pathology specimens for microscopic evaluation, including gross description, dissection, and sectioning in accordance with the Surgical Pathology Manual.
• Provide independent technical leadership on unusual and complex cases, consulting with the Manager or Supervisor as appropriate. This may include complex oncology specimens, complicated autopsies, intraoperative examinations, and specialized tissue banking.
• Participate in frozen sections, intraoperative consultations, autopsies, and prenatal procedures.
• Ensure specimens are appropriately prepared and handled from collection through results reporting, including specialized handling such as radiography, photography, special fixation, cultures, and tissue procurement.
• Oversee the proper handling, storage, filing, retrieval, and disposition of surgical and autopsy tissue while ensuring compliance with regulatory, biohazard, and safety requirements.
• Provide ongoing training, orientation, and technical guidance to Pathologists’ Assistant team members, Pathology Fellows, Residents, students, and other staff.
• Participate in competency evaluations of Pathologists’ Assistant team members, including skill and task assessments.
• Oversee the work of Laboratory Assistants and Laboratory Aides, providing day-to-day guidance and support as appropriate.
• Assist with staff performance evaluations related to phlebotomy, specimen receiving, and outpatient service support.
• Assist the Manager or Supervisor with administrative functions related to the Pathologists’ Assistant area, including quality assurance and quality control activities, data collection and reporting, performance review input, budget preparation and monitoring, regulatory compliance, and continuing education.
• Operate the Laboratory Information System and Medical Archival Retrieval System as they relate to Pathologists’ Assistant functions.
• Ensure the proper operation, preventative maintenance, repair, and replacement of departmental equipment and tools, and maintain required equipment records and logs.
• Participate in research protocols and other special projects as needed.
• Maintain current knowledge of policies, regulations, guidelines, techniques, procedures, and advances related to anatomic and autopsy pathology.
• Follow all Pathology Department and hospital policies related to safety, confidentiality, compliance, specimen handling, and standard precautions.
• Participate in conferences, seminars, continuing education, and on-the-job training to maintain competency and awareness of advances in the field.

Note: All competencies must be achieved. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, knowledge, skills, abilities, and working conditions associated with the role.

• Graduate of a NAACLS accredited, Master's degree pathologist's assistant training program, or Bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences or Medical Technology or a related field
• 5 years clinical experience in Anatomic or Clinical Pathology
• Analytical and technical ability necessary to independently evaluate patient specimens and clinical data to appropriate sample tissue relevant to diagnostic evaluation and recognize organ and tissue anomalies
• Interpersonal and communication skills necessary to orient and train staff as well as provide educational experiences to team members, fellows, residents and students
• All procedures or job related tasks involve an inherent potential for mucous membrane or skin contact with blood, body fluids or tissues
• A potential for spills or splashes of biohazard substances does exist
• Exposure to normal laboratory lights and noises and occasional exposure to toxic and carcinogenic chemicals

Licensure, Certifications, and Clearances

• American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) required within 12 months of hire
• Act 34

UPMC is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including for those with disabilities and veterans.