Sample Patient Letters

The sample patient letters pieces are provided to our physicians for editing and personalization, intended for use in patient communication.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) is dedicated to protecting health and promoting quality of life through the prevention and control of disease, injury, and disability. Programs affiliated with the CDC are committed to reducing the health and economic consequences of the leading causes of death and disability in efforts to ensure life for all people.
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Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov is a registry and results database of federally and privately supported clinical trials conducted in the United States and around the world. ClinicalTrials.gov gives you information about a trial’s purpose, who may participate, locations, and phone numbers for more details.
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Health Information Translations

Health Information Translations provides education resources in multiple languages for health care professionals and others to use in their communities. The website provides plain language health education resources.
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Lab Tests Online

Lab Tests Online is designed to help patient or family caregivers to better understand the various clinical lab tests that are part of routine care as well as diagnosis and treatment of a broad range of conditions and diseases.
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MedicineNet – Health and Wellness

Targeting the Health and Living section of MedicineNet, provides a broad range of information ranging from disease data to healthy living and lifestyle articles.
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National Institutes of Health

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the nation’s medical research agency and subsequently the largest source of funding for medical research in the world.
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Ready.gov

Ready.gov is a creation of the Department of Homeland Security / Federal Emergency Management Agency and provides resources to the private sector for emergencies and disaster preparedness.
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Useful Links

PathConnect Results Review

PathConnect Results Review offers clients the ability to print results on demand (PDF Files) with full remote access to reports – office, home or on the go. Results Review is available to PathGroup customers via any computer with Internet access.
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Lab Tests Online

CMS ICD-10 Lookup Tool

Enter a Code or keyword to conduct your search for ICD-10 Codes provided by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. After searching, select an ICD-10 Code link from the results table to populate the corresponding text box and close the pop-up window..
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Clinical Trials

US National Library of Medicine

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) is the world’s largest biomedical library maintaining a vast print collection and producing electronic information resources on a wide range of topics. NLM supports and conducts research, development, and training in biomedical informatics and health information technology.
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US Department of Health and Human Services – Health Information Technology

Health information technology (health IT) makes it possible for health care providers to better manage patient care through secure use and sharing of health information. Health IT includes the use of electronic health records (EHRs) instead of paper medical records to maintain patient’s health information.
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Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)

The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services is a federal agency that administers Medicare, Medicaid and Child Health Insurance Programs. CMS also performs a number of quality-focused activities, including regulation of laboratory testing (CLIA), surveys and certification, development of coverage policies, and quality-of-care improvement.
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services – EHR Incentive Program

The Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs will provide incentive payments to eligible professionals, eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) as they adopt, implement, upgrade or demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology.
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The National Institutes of Health

Center for Disease Control (CDC)

Forensic Medical

Forensic Medical Management Services, PLC, is a full service forensic pathology group, headquartered in Nashville Tennessee, providing Medical Examiner services including death investigation, forensic autopsies, expert forensic testimony, and forensic management services.
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National Center for Biotechnology Information

The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information.
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PDR Net

PDR.net is a medical and healthcare Web site created by Medical Economics Company Inc., publisher of healthcare magazines and directories including the PDR (Physicians’ Desk Reference), the source trusted by America’s physicians for more than 50 years.
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Health Information Translations

Professional Organizations

American Society of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP)

The American Society of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP) is the world’s largest professional membership organization for pathologists and laboratory professionals. They provide excellence in education, certification and advocacy on behalf of patients, pathologists and laboratory professionals.
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College of American Pathologists (CAP)

The College of American Pathologists, the leading organization of board-certified pathologists, serves patients, pathologists, and the public by fostering and advocating excellence in the practice of pathology and laboratory medicine worldwide.
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American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with more than 51,000 members and is the leading group of physicians in the US providing health care for women. They work as an advocate for quality care for women, promoting patient education and encouraging patient understanding of medical care.
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American Medical Association (AMA)

The American Medical Association (AMA) works to help doctors help patients by promoting the art and science of medicine and the betterment of public health. They do this by uniting physicians nationwide to work on the most important professional and public health issues.
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Clinical Laboratory Management Association (CLMA)

The Clinical Laboratory Management Association (CLMA) is an internal association of clinical laboratory professional who provide leadership in the clinical laboratory industry. The association educates and advocates on behalf of members, and plays a leadership role in enhancing the image and increasing the visibility of the laboratory management profession.
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California Society of Pathologists (CPS)

The California Society of Pathologists (CSP) represents pathologists in government affairs and provides a voice to legislators and regulatory policy makers. Members work together on all areas that have a potential impact on pathology in California.
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Glossary of Terms

Common Pathology Terms

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | M | N | P | S | U |

Accession: log or document of specimens in the lab.

Anatomic Pathology: the subspecialty of pathology that pertains to the gross and microscopic study of organs and tissues removed for biopsy or during postmortem examination, and also the interpretation of the results of such study.

Benign: of no danger to health, especially relating to a tumorous growth; not malignant; something that does not metastasize and treatment or removal is curative.

Biopsy: the removal and examination of tissue, cells, or fluids from the living body; a procedure that involves obtaining a tissue specimen for microscopic analysis to establish a precise diagnosis.

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C. Difficile: (clostridium difficile; c. diff) a bacterium that can cause symptoms ranging from diarrhea to life-threatening inflammation of the colon.

CAP: (College of American Pathologists) leading organization of board-certified pathologists advocating excellence in the practice of pathology and laboratory medicine.

CLIA: (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) established by Congress in 1988 to ensure quality standards for all laboratory testing .

Carcinoma: a malignant new growth made up of epithelial cells tending to infiltrate surrounding tissues and to give rise to metastases; Carcinomas tend to infiltrate into adjacent tissue and spread (metastasize) to distant organs.

Chlamydia: a disease caused by the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis, the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection in the United States. Sexually active individuals and individuals with multiple partners are at highest risk.

Chromosome: the self-replicating genetic structures of cells containing the cellular DNA that bears in its nucleotide sequence the linear array of genes.

Clinical Pathology: the subspecialty in pathology concerned with the theoretical and technical aspects (i.e., the methods or procedures) of chemistry, immunohematology, microbiology, parasitology, immunology, hematology, and other fields as they pertain to the diagnosis of disease and the care of patients, as well as to the prevention of disease. It does not require professional interpretation of a pathologist.

Cystic Fibrosis: an inherited disorder of the mucus and sweat glands where there is widespread dysfunction of the exocrine glands, characterized by signs of chronic pulmonary disease. CF causes your mucus to be thick and sticky. The mucus clogs the lungs, causing breathing problems and making it easy for bacteria to grow. This can lead to problems such as repeated lung infections and lung damage.

Coagulation: the process of clot formation.

Core Biopsy: removal with a large needle of a piece of a lump. The piece is sent to the lab to see if the lump is benign or malignant.

Cytology: the study of cells; a branch of biology dealing with the structure, function, multiplication, pathology, and life history of cells.

Cytopathology: the study of disease changes within individual cells or cell types.

Cytotechnologist: a medical technologist trained in Cytotechnology.

Cytotechnology: a specialty in medical technology concerned with the identification of cells and cellular abnormalities (as in cancer).

Dermatopathology: microscopic anatomic pathology of the skin using the scientific study of the nature of disease and its causes, processes, development, and consequences.

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EHR/EMR: (Electronic Health Records) focuses on the total health of the patient beyond standard clinical data collected at provider and is built to share information with other health care providers that are involved in a single patients care; (Electronic Medical Records) digital version of the paper charts in a clinician’s office including treatment and medical history of patient.

Eosin: A red, fluorescent, bromine-containing, water-insoluble dye used to stain cytoplasm of cells pink (routine stains in histology – H&E, see also Hematoxylin).

Esoteric test: the analysis of ‘rare’ substances or molecules that are not performed in a routine clinical lab.

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Fine Needle Aspiration: the process of obtaining a sample of cells and bits of tissue for examination by applying suction through a fine needle attached to a syringe – abbreviation FNA. Highly specialized and produces cytology specimen; procedure to remove cells or fluid from tissues using a needle with an empty syringe. Cells or breast fluid is extracted by pulling back on plunger and then is analyzed by a physician.

FISH: (fluorescence in situ hybridization) a molecular technique used in chromosome studies. FISH employs fluorescent (fluorescein tags) that glow under ultraviolet light to detect the hybridization (the combination) of molecular probes with specific chromosomes and specific chromosome regions. In FISH, the process vividly paints chromosomes or portions of chromosomes with fluorescent molecules. This technique is useful for identifying chromosomal abnormalities and gene mapping. For example, a FISH probe to chromosome 21 permits one to “fish” for cells with trisomy 21, an extra chromosome 21, the cause of Down syndrome.

Fixative: substance used for the preservation of specimen tissues; formalin is the most common form.

Flow Cytometry: method of measuring fluorescence from stained cells that are in suspension and flowing through a narrow orifice, usually in combination with one or two lasers to activate the dyes; used to measure cell size, number, viability, and nucleic acid content with the aid of acridine orange, Kasten fluorescent Feulgen stain, ethidium bromide, trypan blue, and other selected staining reagents.

Frozen Section: Part of biopsy material frozen immediately to enable pathological analysis in a few minutes on a microscope slide.

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Gastroenterology: the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and disorders affecting the stomach, intestines, and associated organs.

Gonorrhea: infection is due to Neisseria gonorrhoeae which is a curable sexually transmitted disease that is most common in young adults. The bacterium that causes gonorrhea can infect the genital tract, mouth or anus.

Gross: coarse or large; visible to the naked eye, as gross pathology.

Grossing: (macroscopic examination) describing specimens size, shape, color and any abnormalities; margins and orientation.

Group B Strep: a leading cause of a form of neonatal sepsis that has a 10-20% mortality rate and leaves a large number of survivors with brain damage; also a leading cause of meningitis.

Gynecology: the branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of disorders affecting the female reproductive organs.

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Hematology-oncology: the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of blood diseases (hematology) and cancer (oncology) and research into them. Hematology-oncology includes such diseases as iron deficiency anemia, hemophilia, sickle cell disease, the thalassemia’s, leukemia’s and lymphomas.

Hematopathology: the division of pathology concerned with diseases of the blood and of haemopoietic and lymphoid tissue; study of blood, bone marrow and the organs and tissues that use blood cells to perform their functions.

Hematoxylin: bluish, purple dye which stains the nucleus of the cells.

Histochemistry: study of the chemical composition of tissues by means of specific staining reactions; the study of intracellular distribution of chemicals, reaction sites, enzymes, etc., often by means of staining reactions, radioactive isotope uptake, selective metal distribution in electron microscopy, or other methods.

Histology: the study of cells and tissue on the microscopic level; a branch of anatomy that deals with the minute structure of animal and plant tissues as discernible with the microscope.

Histopathology: science concerned with the study of microscopic changes in diseased tissue.

Histotechnologist: a technician who specializes in histotechnology.

Histotechnology: technical histology concerned specifically with preparing and processing (as by sectioning, fixing, and staining) histological specimens.

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Immunohistochemistry: histochemical localization of immunoreactive substances using labeled antibodies as reagents; demonstration of specific antigens in tissues by the use of markers that are either fluorescent dyes or enzymes such as horseradish peroxidase.

Infectious Disease: a disease resulting from the presence and activity of a microbial agent.

Inherited Genetics: tests performed to determine whether an individual is a carrier for certain inherited disorders.

Intraoperative Consultation: the name given to the whole intervention by the pathologist, which includes not only frozen section but also gross evaluation of the specimen, examination of cytology preparations taken on the specimen (e.g. touch imprints), and aliquoting of the specimen for special studies (e.g. molecular pathology techniques, flow cytometry). The report given by the pathologist is usually limited to a “benign” or “malignant” diagnosis, traditionally shouted into an intercom.

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JCAHO: (Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations) a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public; this is done through the provision of health accreditation and related services that support performance improvement in health care organizations.

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Karyotyping: a test used to identify chromosome abnormalities as the cause of malformation or disease. The test can be performed on a sample of blood, bone marrow, amniotic fluid, or placental tissue.

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Malignant: tending to become worse, deteriorate and produce death or having the properties of anaplasia, invasiveness, and metastasis; malignant tumors.

Microarray: a method of evaluating a large number of DNA changes on a slide which has RNA fragments attached.

Molecular Pathology: the study of biochemical and biophysical cellular mechanisms as the basic factors in disease.

Morphology: branch of bioscience dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features.

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Needle Biopsy: the removal of a sample of tissue using a wide-core needle with suction; any of several methods (as fine needle aspiration or core biopsy) for obtaining a sample of cells or tissue by inserting a hollow needle through the skin and withdrawing the sample from the tissue or organ to be examined.

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Pap Smear: a special stain performed usually on a smear taken from the neck of the cervix; a method or a test based on it for the early detection of cancer especially of the uterine cervix that involves staining exfoliated cells by a special technique which differentiates diseased tissue – called also Papanicolaou smear, Papanicolaou test, Pap test.

Pathologist: a doctor who specializes in identifying diseases by studying cells and tissues under a microscope.

Pathology: the branch of medicine concerned with disease, especially its structure and its functional effects on the body; the scientific study of the nature of disease and its causes, processes, development, and consequences.

PCR: (polymerase chain reaction) an in vitro technique for rapidly synthesizing large quantities of a given DNA segment that involves separating the DNA into its two complementary strands, binding a primer to each single strand at the end of the given DNA segment where synthesis will start, using DNA polymerase to synthesize two-stranded DNA from each single strand, and repeating the process.

Pharmacogenomics: a biotechnological science that combines the techniques of medicine, pharmacology, and genomics and is concerned with developing drug therapies to compensate for genetic differences in patients which cause varied responses to a single therapeutic regimen.

Prenatal: Existing or occurring before birth, with reference to the fetus.

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Sequencing: Determination of the order of nucleotides (base sequences) in a DNA or RNA molecule or the order of amino acids in a protein.

Surgical Pathology: A field in anatomic pathology concerned with examination of tissues removed from living patients for the purpose of diagnosis of disease and guidance in the care of patients.

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Urinalysis: noninvasive test which involves the chemical and microscopic analysis of urine for diagnostic purposes. Urinalysis can assist the physician in the diagnosis of infections, diabetes, dehydration, nephritis, kidney stone, jaundice and many other conditions.

Urology: a branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the urinary tract and urogenital system; the study and treatment of disorders of the urinary tract in women and the urogenital system in men.