Boston Medical Center (BMC)
Pathologists' Assistant - Certified
Boston Medical Center (BMC), Boston, Massachusetts, us, 02298
Position Summary
Under the general supervision of a Pathologist or the Managing Pathologist Assistant, you will access and prepare and perform a human specimen (and animal if research) dissection and postmortem (necropsy) examination. You will provide technical support to the pathology department pathologist and pathology residents (specimen dissection, provision of paperwork, supplies, etc.). You will also provide technical and logistical support to the laboratories as needed, specifically histology, immunohistochemistry and frozen section services, and you will maintain cleanliness and infection control in surgical pathology dissection suites, mortuary and autopsy facility.
Surgical Pathology Services / Frozen Section Service Support
Assist in the preparation and performance of human surgical specimen dissection, including accessioning, gross description, fixation and processing. Perform gross description for large resection specimens such as colon and mastectomy specimens. Gross small neuro specimens and melanoma specimens. Teach and mentor pathologist assistant students and grossing techs how to gross moderately complex and large resection cases. Perform some duties of a Histotechnologist to include organizing, processing, cutting frozen sections, staining and otherwise preparing tissue for microscopic evaluation by the Pathologist. Obtain patient’s clinical history and tissue type for specimens missing this information. Maintain and update autopsy and mortuary policy and procedures manuals to ensure compliance with CAP and Joint Commission accreditation standards, under direction of department manager. Administer the daily operation of the surgical pathology dissection suite. Clean and disinfect work area, inventories and stocks supplies. Monitor and clean instruments and equipment (fume hoods, cryostats, etc.). Assist with materials management within the department. Collect and coordinate delivery of consumable supplies and equipment to laboratories and satellite offices. Monitor inventory of store room under the direction of the laboratory supervisor and/or department manager. Participate in removal of hazardous waste from laboratories to storage facility within the department. Communicate with safety department as necessary. Exhibit an understanding and knowledge of histologic tissue preparation, opening and embedding cassettes, slide labeling and coverslipping. Prepare chemicals and dyes for use in routine and special staining techniques of diagnostic specimens. Exhibit an understanding and knowledge of routine histologic staining and set-up of frozen-section staining area; use of automated tissue staining equipment and operation and maintenance of automated coverslipper. Perform accurate labeling and filing of slides and blocks. Record statistical data (e.g., number of cases, blocks, slides, stains) and test results on a daily basis. Clean and maintain tissue processors. Calibrate and maintain laboratory equipment. Report malfunctioning equipment to supervisor and maintain daily log of equipment performance. Assist with equipment delivery. Perform preventative maintenance and QC documentation of laboratory equipment. Implement and understand the concepts of Universal Precautions, chemical hygiene, infection control and laboratory safety. Quality control checks and temperature monitoring and documentation for laboratory equipment. Mortuary Services Support
Participate as a team member of the Decedent Affairs Office. Receive deceased patients from hospital transport. Escort deceased patients to hospital morgue for storage and place deceased patients into mortuary refrigerators. Accession deceased patients. Summarize statistics of deceased patients on a monthly basis for department manager. Communicate on behalf of the Decedent Affairs Office with regard to death certificates and body release authorization forms. Communicate with funeral directors, hospital house staff, pathology staff, Medical Examiners office with regard to autopsies or body release. Ensure that documents regarding release of deceased patients (death certificates, release authorization forms) are accurate and complete. Ensure that the identity of the deceased patient has been confirmed, prior to release, by correlating the death certificate with patient name tag, wrist band, toe tag, etc. Communicate with families of deceased patients. Assist and guide with issues pertaining to the mortuary service. Organize and assist with deceased patient viewing. Prepare deceased for viewing by family. Operate video monitoring equipment. Confere with psychiatric nurses, social workers and administrators as necessary. Schedule and perform release of bodies to funeral directors. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and/or livery services. Keep appropriate records of these transactions. Care for and distribute personal effects of deceased patients to appropriate departments (valuables, clothes, etc.). Clean and disinfect morgue, morgue refrigerators, receiving areas and equipment. Discard all biohazard and chemical waste in accordance with hospital policies and procedures. Autopsy Assistance
Ascertain correct legal authorization for autopsy. Check autopsy permission form to confirm accuracy and completeness. Retrieve patient chart and medical record and any other pertinent data. Confere with pathologist to determine necessity for special specimen collection techniques and notifies all personnel involved. Contact pathology resident and pathologist on call, attending clinical physician listed on death certificate and all other authorities prior to beginning dissection. Coordinate special requests for organ sampling. Perform postmortem examination including external examination, in situ organ inspection, evisceration, dissection and dictation or recording of data, i.e., organ weights, presence of body fluids and gross anatomic findings. Collaborate with pathologist to select and prepare gross tissue samples for frozen and permanent sections. Photograph and archive body, organs, microscope slides and other relevant material. Collate data for quality improvement indicators as directed. Other Duties
Group data for quality improvement indicators as directed. Utilize hospital’s cultural beliefs as the basis for decision making and to support the hospital’s mission and goals. Follow established hospital infection control and safety procedures. Perform other duties as needed. Job Requirements
Graduate of an accredited pathology assistant program. Pathologist Assistant ASCP. Certification required. Required number of course credits specified by CLIA. Pathologist Assistant PA (ASCP) Certification required within 6 months of hire. Minimum training/experience required: 1 to 2 years ex patient preferred. Education Requirements
Masters of Health Science Pathologists Assistant Education/training equivalent to the above that includes the following: 60 semester hours or equivalent from an accredited institution. This education must include 24 semester hours of medical laboratory technology courses, or 24 semester hours of science courses that includes six semester hours of chemistry, six semester hours of biology, and 12 semester hours of chemistry, biology or medical laboratory technology in any combination, and Laboratory training including either completion of a clinical laboratory training program approved or accredited by the ABHES, NAACLA, or other organization approved by HHS (note that this training may be included in the 60 semester hours listed above), or Minimum of three months of recorded laboratory training in each specialty in which the individual performs high complexity testing. Certificates, Licenses, Registrations
Pathologist Assistant PA (ASCP) certification required within 6 months of hire. Experience
The minimum training/experience required of such personnel is: 1 to 2 years ex patient preferred. Knowledge And Skills
Demonstrated accuracy and precision with accessioning, gross description, fixation and processing of human surgical specimen dissections. Excellent oral and written communication skills. Basic computer proficiency inclusive of ability to access, enter and interpret computerized data/information required. Compensation Range
$0.00- $0.00. This range offers an estimate based on the minimum job qualifications. However, our approach to determining base pay is comprehensive, and a broad range of factors is considered when making an offer. This includes education, experience, skills, and certifications/licensures as they directly relate to position requirements; as well as business/organizational needs, internal equity, and market-competitiveness. In addition, BMCHS offers generous total compensation that includes, but is not limited to, benefits (medical, dental, vision, pharmacy), discretionary annual bonuses and merit increases, Flexible Spending Accounts, 403(b) savings matches, paid time off, career advancement opportunities, and resources to support employee and family well-being. Equal Opportunity Employer / Disabled / Veterans
Equal Employment Opportunity is a priority. This position is open to all qualified candidates.
According to the FTC, there has been a rise in employment offer scams. Our current job openings are listed on our website and applications are received only through our website. We do not ask or require downloads of any applications, or “apps” job offers are not extended over text messages or social media platforms. We do not ask individuals to purchase equipment for or prior to employment.
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Assist in the preparation and performance of human surgical specimen dissection, including accessioning, gross description, fixation and processing. Perform gross description for large resection specimens such as colon and mastectomy specimens. Gross small neuro specimens and melanoma specimens. Teach and mentor pathologist assistant students and grossing techs how to gross moderately complex and large resection cases. Perform some duties of a Histotechnologist to include organizing, processing, cutting frozen sections, staining and otherwise preparing tissue for microscopic evaluation by the Pathologist. Obtain patient’s clinical history and tissue type for specimens missing this information. Maintain and update autopsy and mortuary policy and procedures manuals to ensure compliance with CAP and Joint Commission accreditation standards, under direction of department manager. Administer the daily operation of the surgical pathology dissection suite. Clean and disinfect work area, inventories and stocks supplies. Monitor and clean instruments and equipment (fume hoods, cryostats, etc.). Assist with materials management within the department. Collect and coordinate delivery of consumable supplies and equipment to laboratories and satellite offices. Monitor inventory of store room under the direction of the laboratory supervisor and/or department manager. Participate in removal of hazardous waste from laboratories to storage facility within the department. Communicate with safety department as necessary. Exhibit an understanding and knowledge of histologic tissue preparation, opening and embedding cassettes, slide labeling and coverslipping. Prepare chemicals and dyes for use in routine and special staining techniques of diagnostic specimens. Exhibit an understanding and knowledge of routine histologic staining and set-up of frozen-section staining area; use of automated tissue staining equipment and operation and maintenance of automated coverslipper. Perform accurate labeling and filing of slides and blocks. Record statistical data (e.g., number of cases, blocks, slides, stains) and test results on a daily basis. Clean and maintain tissue processors. Calibrate and maintain laboratory equipment. Report malfunctioning equipment to supervisor and maintain daily log of equipment performance. Assist with equipment delivery. Perform preventative maintenance and QC documentation of laboratory equipment. Implement and understand the concepts of Universal Precautions, chemical hygiene, infection control and laboratory safety. Quality control checks and temperature monitoring and documentation for laboratory equipment. Mortuary Services Support
Participate as a team member of the Decedent Affairs Office. Receive deceased patients from hospital transport. Escort deceased patients to hospital morgue for storage and place deceased patients into mortuary refrigerators. Accession deceased patients. Summarize statistics of deceased patients on a monthly basis for department manager. Communicate on behalf of the Decedent Affairs Office with regard to death certificates and body release authorization forms. Communicate with funeral directors, hospital house staff, pathology staff, Medical Examiners office with regard to autopsies or body release. Ensure that documents regarding release of deceased patients (death certificates, release authorization forms) are accurate and complete. Ensure that the identity of the deceased patient has been confirmed, prior to release, by correlating the death certificate with patient name tag, wrist band, toe tag, etc. Communicate with families of deceased patients. Assist and guide with issues pertaining to the mortuary service. Organize and assist with deceased patient viewing. Prepare deceased for viewing by family. Operate video monitoring equipment. Confere with psychiatric nurses, social workers and administrators as necessary. Schedule and perform release of bodies to funeral directors. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and/or livery services. Keep appropriate records of these transactions. Care for and distribute personal effects of deceased patients to appropriate departments (valuables, clothes, etc.). Clean and disinfect morgue, morgue refrigerators, receiving areas and equipment. Discard all biohazard and chemical waste in accordance with hospital policies and procedures. Autopsy Assistance
Ascertain correct legal authorization for autopsy. Check autopsy permission form to confirm accuracy and completeness. Retrieve patient chart and medical record and any other pertinent data. Confere with pathologist to determine necessity for special specimen collection techniques and notifies all personnel involved. Contact pathology resident and pathologist on call, attending clinical physician listed on death certificate and all other authorities prior to beginning dissection. Coordinate special requests for organ sampling. Perform postmortem examination including external examination, in situ organ inspection, evisceration, dissection and dictation or recording of data, i.e., organ weights, presence of body fluids and gross anatomic findings. Collaborate with pathologist to select and prepare gross tissue samples for frozen and permanent sections. Photograph and archive body, organs, microscope slides and other relevant material. Collate data for quality improvement indicators as directed. Other Duties
Group data for quality improvement indicators as directed. Utilize hospital’s cultural beliefs as the basis for decision making and to support the hospital’s mission and goals. Follow established hospital infection control and safety procedures. Perform other duties as needed. Job Requirements
Graduate of an accredited pathology assistant program. Pathologist Assistant ASCP. Certification required. Required number of course credits specified by CLIA. Pathologist Assistant PA (ASCP) Certification required within 6 months of hire. Minimum training/experience required: 1 to 2 years ex patient preferred. Education Requirements
Masters of Health Science Pathologists Assistant Education/training equivalent to the above that includes the following: 60 semester hours or equivalent from an accredited institution. This education must include 24 semester hours of medical laboratory technology courses, or 24 semester hours of science courses that includes six semester hours of chemistry, six semester hours of biology, and 12 semester hours of chemistry, biology or medical laboratory technology in any combination, and Laboratory training including either completion of a clinical laboratory training program approved or accredited by the ABHES, NAACLA, or other organization approved by HHS (note that this training may be included in the 60 semester hours listed above), or Minimum of three months of recorded laboratory training in each specialty in which the individual performs high complexity testing. Certificates, Licenses, Registrations
Pathologist Assistant PA (ASCP) certification required within 6 months of hire. Experience
The minimum training/experience required of such personnel is: 1 to 2 years ex patient preferred. Knowledge And Skills
Demonstrated accuracy and precision with accessioning, gross description, fixation and processing of human surgical specimen dissections. Excellent oral and written communication skills. Basic computer proficiency inclusive of ability to access, enter and interpret computerized data/information required. Compensation Range
$0.00- $0.00. This range offers an estimate based on the minimum job qualifications. However, our approach to determining base pay is comprehensive, and a broad range of factors is considered when making an offer. This includes education, experience, skills, and certifications/licensures as they directly relate to position requirements; as well as business/organizational needs, internal equity, and market-competitiveness. In addition, BMCHS offers generous total compensation that includes, but is not limited to, benefits (medical, dental, vision, pharmacy), discretionary annual bonuses and merit increases, Flexible Spending Accounts, 403(b) savings matches, paid time off, career advancement opportunities, and resources to support employee and family well-being. Equal Opportunity Employer / Disabled / Veterans
Equal Employment Opportunity is a priority. This position is open to all qualified candidates.
According to the FTC, there has been a rise in employment offer scams. Our current job openings are listed on our website and applications are received only through our website. We do not ask or require downloads of any applications, or “apps” job offers are not extended over text messages or social media platforms. We do not ask individuals to purchase equipment for or prior to employment.
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