Pathologists

Job Summary

Pathologists at Denver Health perform clinical work in anatomic and/or clinical pathology, as is appropriate to their area of expertise. Denver Health is affiliated with the University of Colorado School of Medicine, (UC-SOM) and Denver Health physician faculty have full-time academic appointments at UC-SOM.

Responsibilities

1. Participate in clinical duties, including the preanalytical, analytical, and postanalytical components of surgical pathology, cytopathology, autopsy pathology, and/or clinical pathology as appropriate.
2. Participate equally in the departmental call schedule.
3. Participate equally in medical student education and pathology resident training.
4. Participate in clinical quality initiatives focused on enhancing systems to assure timeliness and efficiency and assuring quality while maintaining fiscal responsibility.
5. Promote and oversee development of critical pathways, protocols and practice guidelines that promote quality, cost-effective care for the patient population.
6. Help ensure that appropriate quality improvement standards/metrics are established, maintained, and reported for the Pathology department.
7. Assist with efforts to optimize operational efficiency within the Pathology Department.
8. Help ensure the application of best practices, incorporating regulatory requirements at the local, state, and national level; utilize benchmarking and data analysis from applicable sources.
9. Help disseminate practice standards and accountabilities to non-physician Pathology staff, physicians, residents, and medical students.
10. Help oversee the substance, quality, review, and evaluation of graduate medical education in the Department.
11. Help oversee the quality of medical student education in the Department.
12. Participate in scholarly activities. Participate in research and conference attendance to enhance the reputation of the department.
13. Maintain and develop professional knowledge and personal competence through participation in professional organizations and conferences.
14. Help supervise all staff in clinical and assigned administrative duties.
15. Responsible for ensuring the ethical practice of Pathology within the Department.
16. Help promote implementation and enforcement of process standardization initiatives.
17. Collaborate with key external entities. Continually communicate and drive high priority strategic initiatives to keep leadership focused. Communicate effectively and regularly to Denver Health leadership and to departmental faculty and staff regarding the overall health and performance of the Department.
18. Establish appropriate communication channels with physicians, clinical colleagues, and administration that result in trust, alignment, and collaborative working relationships. Foster open communication, teamwork and champion change.
19. Establish open, non-judgmental dialogue; expect a culture of diversity and inclusiveness; welcome constructive criticism from direct reports, admit errors openly, avoid a punitive response to honest mistakes, demonstrate timely responsiveness, and hold others accountable.
20. Coach, mentor, and develop others to build internal capabilities and the talent that facilitates succession.
21. Help ensure that information relevant to patient care and treatment options are communicated to patients, families, and any referring physicians in a timely fashion.

CLIA Requirements:

• § 493.1441 Condition: Laboratories performing high complexity testing; laboratory director. The laboratory must have a director who meets the qualification requirements of § 493.1443 of this subpart and provides overall management and direction in accordance with § 493.1445 of this subpart.
• § 493.1443 Standard; Laboratory director qualifications. The laboratory director must be qualified to manage and direct the laboratory personnel and performance of high complexity tests and must be eligible to be an operator of a laboratory within the requirements of subpart R. (a) The laboratory director must possess a current license as a laboratory director issued by the State in which the laboratory is located, if such licensing is required; and (b) The laboratory director must— (1) (i) Be a doctor of medicine or doctor of osteopathy licensed to practice medicine or osteopathy in the State in which the laboratory is located; and (ii) Be certified in anatomic or clinical pathology, or both, by the American Board of Pathology or the American Osteopathic Board of Pathology or possess qualifications that are equivalent to those required for such certification; or (2) Be a doctor of medicine, a doctor of osteopathy, or doctor of podiatric medicine licensed to practice medicine, osteopathy or podiatry in the State in which the laboratory is located; and (i) Have at least one year of laboratory training during medical residency (for example, physicians certified either in hematology or hematology and medical oncology by the American Board of Internal Medicine); or (ii) Have at least 2 years of experience directing or supervising high complexity testing; or (3) Hold an earned doctoral degree in a chemical, physical, biological, or clinical laboratory science from an accredited institution and — (i) Be certified and continue to be certified by a board approved by HHS; or (ii) Before February 24, 2003, must have served or be serving as a director of a laboratory performing high complexity testing and must have at least — (A) Two years of laboratory training or experience, or both; and (B) Two years of laboratory experience directing or supervising high complexity testing. (4) Be serving as a laboratory director and must have previously qualified or could have qualified as a laboratory director under regulations at 42 CFR 493.1415, published March 14, 1990 at 55 FR 9538, on or before February 28, 1992; or (5) On or before February 28, 1992, be qualified under State law to direct a laboratory in the State in which the laboratory is located; or (6) For the subspecialty of oral pathology, be certified by the American Board of Oral Pathology, American Board of Pathology, the American Osteopathic Board of Pathology, or possess qualifications that are equivalent to those required for certification.
• § 493.1445 Standard; Laboratory director responsibilities. The laboratory director is responsible for the overall operation and administration of the laboratory, including the employment of personnel who are competent to perform test procedures, record and report test results promptly, accurately, and proficiently, and for assuring compliance with the applicable regulations. (a) The laboratory director, if qualified, may perform the duties of the technical supervisor, clinical consultant, general supervisor, and testing personnel, or delegate these responsibilities to personnel meeting the qualifications under §§ 493.1447, 493.1453, 493.1459, and 493.1487, respectively. (b) If the laboratory director reapportions performance of his or her responsibilities, he or she remains responsible for ensuring that all duties are properly performed. (c) The laboratory director must be accessible to the laboratory to provide on-site, telephone, or electronic consultation as needed. (d) Each individual may direct no more than five laboratories. (e) The laboratory director must— (1) Ensure that testing systems developed and used for each of the tests performed in the laboratory provide quality laboratory services for all aspects of test performance, which includes the preanalytic, analytic, and postanalytic phases of testing; (2) Ensure that the physical plant and environmental conditions of the laboratory are appropriate for the testing performed and provide a safe environment in which employees are protected from physical, chemical, and biological hazards; (3) Ensure that— (i) The test methodologies selected have the capability of providing the quality of results required for patient care;(ii) Verification procedures used are adequate to determine the accuracy, precision, and other pertinent performance characteristics of the method; and (iii) Laboratory personnel are performing the test methods as required for accurate and reliable results; (4) Ensure that the laboratory is enrolled in an HHS-approved proficiency testing program for the testing performed and that — (i) The proficiency testing samples are tested as required under subpart H of this part;(ii) The results are returned within the timeframes established by the proficiency testing program;(iii) All proficiency testing reports received are reviewed by the appropriate staff to evaluate the laboratory's performance and to identify any problems that require corrective action; and(iv) An approved corrective action plan is followed when any proficiency testing result is found to be unacceptable or unsatisfactory; (5) Ensure that the quality control and quality assessment programs are established and maintained to assure the quality of laboratory services provided and to identify failures in quality as they occur; (6) Ensure the establishment and maintenance of acceptable levels of analytical performance for each test system; (7) Ensure that all necessary remedial actions are taken and documented whenever significant deviations from the laboratory's established performance characteristics are identified, and that patient test results are reported only when the system is functioning properly; (8) Ensure that reports of test results include pertinent information required for interpretation; (9) Ensure that consultation is available to the laboratory's clients on matters relating to the quality of the test results reported and their interpretation concerning specific patient conditions; (10) Ensure that a general supervisor provides on-site supervision of high complexity test performance by testing personnel qualified under § 493.1489(b)(4); (11) Employ a sufficient number of laboratory personnel with the appropriate education and either experience or training to provide appropriate consultation, properly supervise and accurately perform tests and report test results in accordance with the personnel responsibilities described in this subpart; (12) Ensure that prior to testing patients’ specimens, all personnel have the appropriate education and experience, receive the appropriate training for the type and complexity of the services offered, and have demonstrated that they can perform all testing operations reliably to provide and report accurate results; (13) Ensure that policies and procedures are established for monitoring individuals who conduct preanalytical, analytical, and postanalytical phases of testing to assure that they are competent and maintain their competency to process specimens, perform test procedures and report test results promptly and proficiently, and whenever necessary, identify needs for remedial training or continuing education to improve skills;(14) Ensure that an approved procedure manual is available to all personnel responsible for any aspect of the testing process; and (15) Specify, in writing, the responsibilities and duties of each consultant and each supervisor, as well as each person engaged in the performance of the preanalytic, analytic, and postanalytic phases of testing, that identifies which examinations and procedures each individual is authorized to perform, whether supervision is required for specimen processing, test performance or result reporting and whether supervisory or director review is required prior to reporting patient test results.
• § 493.1453 Condition: Laboratories performing high complexity testing; clinical consultant. The laboratory must have a clinical consultant who meets the requirements of § 493.1455 of this subpart and provides clinical consultation in accordance with § 493.1457 of this subpart.§ 493.1455 Standard; Clinical consultant qualifications. The clinical consultant must be qualified to consult with and render opinions to the laboratory's clients concerning the diagnosis, treatment, and management of patient care. The clinical consultant must —
• § 493.1457 Standard; Clinical consultant responsibilities. The clinical consultant provides consultation regarding the appropriateness of the testing ordered and interpretation of test results. The clinical consultant must — (a) Be available to provide consultation to the laboratory's clients; (b) Be available to assist the laboratory's clients in ensuring that appropriate tests are ordered to meet the clinical expectations; (c) Ensure that reports of test results include pertinent information required for specific patient interpretation; and (d) Ensure that consultation is available and communicated to the laboratory's clients on matters related to the quality of the test results reported and their interpretation concerning specific patient conditions.
• Other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• A strong record as a respected resident and/or clinician in the area of Pathology.
• Attention and focus on cost effective care delivery while maintaining quality.
• Knowledge and interest in multi-disciplinary healthcare environment.
• Skill in exercising initiative, judgment, and decision making in solving problems and meeting organizational objectives.
• Skill in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with other employees, organizations and the public.
• Skill in adapting new information relative to the work assignment through educational seminars, meetings and staff meetings.
• Skill in maintaining and organizing departmental records, reports and files.
• Knowledge of the principles, standard practices, and techniques of pathology.
• Knowledge of department policies, procedures, objectives, safety, and infection control standards.

Education 

• Doctorate Degree (Required) 1. Doctor of Medicine or Osteopathic Medicine from an accredited school of medicine required. 2. Board Certification in Pathology discipline required. 3. Successful completion of an accredited pathology residency program with additional years of fellowship training as necessary for area of expertise. 4. Demonstrated ability to triage and diagnose high complexity cases. 5. A history of academic commitment through excellence in education and/or scholarly work

Experience 

Credentials 

• Physician (Required) Possession of a medical license to practice medicine in the State of Colorado required. Possession of a medical license to practice medicine in the State of Colorado required.