While you may never meet one in person, a pathologist can have a big impact on your health.
A pathologist is a physician who specializes in identifying the nature, cause and stage of disease by analyzing body tissues and fluids. Their expertise plays a critical role in making an accurate diagnosis and guiding treatment decisions.
At Spectrum Healthcare Partners, we have a robust team of highly trained pathologists who specialize in two main areas:
- Anatomic pathology: Anatomic pathologists use high-powered microscopes to analyze tissues taken from patients during surgery or by biopsy; they also perform autopsies
- Clinical pathology: Clinical pathologists use sophisticated testing technology to analyze chemicals and cells in blood, sputum, bone marrow and urine
Many of our pathologists are also subspecialists—experts in understanding specific types of disease, or advanced types of testing such as genomics and molecular pathology.
Learn more about the range of subspecialty pathology services available at Spectrum.
Why doctors and hospitals choose Spectrum for pathology services
Doctors, hospitals, and physician-owned laboratories trust Spectrum’s pathology services for these important reasons:
- A rigorous quality-control program ensures consistently accurate test results
- Efficient processes guarantee fast turnaround times
- Our pathology specialists use today’s most advanced diagnostic techniques
- Innovative new digital pathology service
What’s more, our services are convenient for patients. You can have lab work completed at your doctor’s office or other healthcare facility, with results interpreted centrally at one of our three southern Maine locations.
Spectrum’s locations: Where our pathologists practice
New Hampshire and Maine’s leading hospitals and health systems, including MaineHealth facilities, Central Maine Healthcare, and Exeter Hospital, choose Spectrum to provide the highest-quality specialty services. To find the location nearest you where our pathologists practice, visit our locations page.
It’s important to know that at these locations, Spectrum pathologists are the only pathologists providing services. So having your lab work at one of these facilities ensures that you’ll receive the excellent care you deserve.
Value Added Services
Laboratories also turn to Spectrum Healthcare Partners’ Pathology Division for these additional services—a testament to the wealth of pathology expertise that resides here:
- Second-opinion services
- Subspecialty consultative services
- Clinical laboratory management and medical direction
- Pre-inspection laboratory evaluation
- Educational and clinical conferencing and teaching
- Intra-office frozen section lab services
- Grossing services (pathology specimens are inspected with the bare eye to obtain diagnostic information, while being processed for further microscopic examination)
Quality Metrics Data
Our pathology division has a high standard of excellence measured by quality metrics to assure and improve patient care best practices. Spectrum’s major discordance rate (the rate of inaccurate diagnoses) is .0018%, which is significantly lower than the 3% benchmark identified in the work of Peck, et al (1). In addition, Spectrum’s pathology division performs routine second reviews of specimens 17.83% of the time, which exceeds the 8% benchmark identified in the work of Chantal, et al (2). In the second quarter of 2021, Spectrum’s average turnaround time was 1.76 days, which exceeds the College of American Pathologists’ benchmark of 2.0 days.
Conferencing and Education Support
We provide pathology expertise for a wide spectrum of clinical care conferences and support pathology teaching programs at MMC-Tufts University School of Medicine, University of Vermont College of Medicine, the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine and the University of Southern Maine.
We also support educational experiences for rotating medical students and residents from a variety of programs.
Opportunities for Pathologists at Spectrum
Spectrum Pathology is a large, sub-specialty medical group with an emphasis on quality assurance which enables us to be a leader in patient care. We provide pathology services to multiple hospitals and providers in Maine and New Hampshire with state-of-the-art equipment. Our pathology team includes board-certified experts, with advanced sub-specialty training in all pathology disciplines. Our focus on work-life balance enables a unique approach to meaningful work, while allowing one to create a suitable work model to meet the needs of the individual. Learn more about current opportunities for pathologists at Spectrum.
