Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Services Overview
Services In Detail
Our Locations
Our Providers

Anatomic Pathology

The department of Anatomic Pathology consists of a team of board-certified pathologists with expertise in several subspecialties. We offer comprehensive diagnostic and consultation services supporting the needs of our clinical colleagues and the patients we care for.

The department processes a wide variety of cases each year from routine biopsies to complex multi-organ resections with an advanced histology laboratory that operates around the clock. We provide timely and accurate routine diagnostic reports for biopsies and surgical specimens within the nationally accepted turnaround time. Our subdisciplines include Cytopathology, Autopsy Pathology and various areas of Surgical Pathology including GYN Pathology, Neuropathology, Hematopathology, Pediatric Pathology, Renal Pathology, GI & Liver Pathology, Breast Pathology, Pulmonary Pathology, and Genitourinary (GU) pathology among others.

Services Offered

Our laboratories offer services and testing in the following areas:

Anatomic Pathology
Biochemical Genetics
Blood Bank & Transfusion Services
Chemistry
Cytogenetic Lab
Diagnostic Immunology
Flow Cytometry
Hematology
Molecular & Virology Diagnostics
Microbiology
Point-of-Care
Special Hematology
Transplant Immunogenetics

Other services offered:

Call Center
Laboratory Information System Support
Reference Laboratory Testing
Research Studies

Our Laboratory

Our Laboratory provides a variety of specialized ancillary testing to support the Pathologist to make accurate diagnosis, including molecular, immunohistochemical, electron microscopy and immunofluorescence. Our immunohistochemistry lab for example has a wide range of antibody markers for diagnostic and prognostic workup of cases. Cytology lab provides Molecular assay for diagnosing HPV, HPV 16 18/45, Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Trichomonas vaginalis. Our department also works in collaboration with various nationally reputed reference labs to provide modern molecular, FISH & NGS gene sequencing.

Consultations, Quality Assurance and Control

We also provide intraoperative consultations with frozen sections, and ROSE (rapid on-site evaluation) for FNA adequacy. Our Pathologist attends and supports various interdisciplinary tumor board conferences and clinical trial programs.

We have a strong commitment to providing the highest-quality diagnostic services. We have a robust Quality Assurance and control program which includes prospective second readings on malignant and complicated high-risk cases. Our subspecialty trained pathologist provides consultations services to other practitioners for difficult cases. We also provide second-opinion diagnostic reviews for outside cases.

Biochemical Genetics

The Biochemical Genetics Laboratory offers a variety of genetic testing for inherited metabolic disorders, also known as inborn errors of metabolism.

Assays performed in Biochemical Genetics Laboratory:

Phenylketonuria (PKU) diagnostic and follow-up;
Maple Syrup Urine Disease (MSUD) diagnostic and follow-up;
Tyrosinemia diagnostic and follow-up;
Plasma Amino Acids diagnostic and follow-up;
Urine Organic Acid analysis;
Total Homocysteine in plasma

Blood Bank and Transfusion Services

The Blood Bank and Transfusion Services department at Westchester Medical Center supports an adult and pediatric Level I trauma academic hospital of over 600 beds. Laboratory testing of donated blood prior to transfusion is performed in order to ensure that recipients receive the safest possible blood products.

Chemistry

The Westchester Medical Center Chemistry laboratory plays an essential part in delivering quality diagnostic results accurately and as quickly as possible. We offer over 196 tests and test combinations, which are ordered to diagnose, treat, manage or monitor a patient’s condition. Some tests are manually evaluated, while most are performed using technically advanced instrumentation by highly skilled medical laboratory scientists specially trained to perform the requested analyses. Our test menu guides more than 70 percent of medical decisions. We perform and interpret approximately 5 million diagnostics tests annually.

Cytogenetic Lab

The Cytogenetics laboratory at Westchester Medical Center provides chromosome analysis of peripheral blood, products of conception and skin fibroblasts. Our laboratory provides chromosome analysis to detect the acquired chromosomal abnormalities associated with hematological malignancies and solid tumors. Chromosomal abnormalities play a central role in the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment monitoring of many hematologic disorders. Cytogenetic studies on bone marrow may be helpful in many malignant hematologic disorders as the observation of a chromosomally abnormal clone may be consistent with a neoplastic process.

Diagnostic Immunology

The Diagnostic Immunology laboratory is involved in work related to the identification of antibodies found in autoimmune disorders such as S.L.E., and other connective tissue disorders. Our department is involved in the diagnosis of Lyme disease using two complementary methodologies (ELISA and Western Blot). This section also performs testing that would be useful in the identification of allergy-related antibodies.

Flow Cytometry

The Flow Cytometry Department is located within the Clinical Pathology Laboratories. We offer rapid testing for leukemias, lymphomas and myelomas, utilizing six color immunofluorescence techniques to identify, separate and characterize various leukocyte subtypes. In addition, we perform CD34 stem cell enumerations and immune profile testing such as lymphocyte subsets and TBNK analysis.

Hematology

The Hematology Laboratory provides testing services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Testing includes but is not limited to: CBC, platelet count, differential, ESR, reticulocyte, and IPF from various body fluids. This laboratory utilizes the latest technologies to provide the most accurate results.

Molecular & Virology Diagnostics

The Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory uses cutting-edge technologies that includes real-time PCR, to provide laboratory services for diagnosis of infectious diseases, genetic diseases and cancers. Currently the laboratory offers a variety of FDA-cleared and laboratory developed high complexity tests, covering molecular microbiology [i.e. viral loads for HIV-1, HBV, HCV and CMV, as well as Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and BK virus; real-time PCR for toxigenic C. difficile and Babesia microti].

The Clinical Virology section employs a cutting-edge multiplex PCR approach for diagnosis of a variety of viral, bacterial, fungal and parasitic diseases. The viral cultures currently offered include the isolation and identification of Adenovirus, Influenza Virus A and B, Parainfluenza 1 to 3, Human metapneumonvirus, Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), Varicella- Zoster Virus (VZV), Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) 1 & 2, Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Enterovirus.

Microbiology

The Microbiology laboratory provides diagnostic services covering bacteriology, mycology, virology, limited parasitology and diagnostic immunology, as well as surveillance culture and NGS-based molecular typing to support the hospital Infection Control and Antimicrobial Stewardship Program. Various methods such as rapid antigen detection, culture, Immunoserology, nucleic acid amplification tests and DNA sequencing are employed in this laboratory for clinical diagnostics and public health. Of these, the bacteriology and mycology sections offer full services for culture, identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of medically important aerobic and anaerobic bacterial and fungal isolates from all body sites. Limited parasitology and diagnostic immunology services include, but are not limited to, detection of blood parasites, pinworm, helminths, identification of arthropod, as well as screening tests for infectious mononucleosis, group A Streptococcus, RSV, and Influenza A & B viruses.

Point of Care

The Point of Care Department is located in and operates under the license and guidelines of the Clinical Laboratory. POC is responsible for over 200 instruments and devices, as well as offering 20 different rapid “bedside” assays throughout the WMC campus. We perform ongoing training and competency for doctors, nurses, and patient care techs as well as maintaining and troubleshooting the POC instruments.

Special Hematology

The department of Special Hematology offers a variety of specialty testing including factors assays, Low Molecular Weight Heparin, Protein C, Protein S activity, Anti-thrombin III, Factor VIII Inhibitor, Vonwillebrand Ristocetin cofactor (platelet agglutination), and VWFR:Ag (immune-turbidimetric), Platelet function studies (platelet rich plasma), Serum Cryoglobulins as well as Hemoglobin separation by HPLC. The following tests are performed manually: Serum and urine Osmolality, Fetal Fibronectin, Urine pregnancy, PH fluids, Chloride Testing for Cystic fibrosis (sweat test), ionized calcium and potassium.

Transplant Immunogenetics

The Transplant Immunogenetics Laboratory (TIL) provides histocompatibility services to support the Kidney, Liver, Heart, and Pancreas Transplant Programs at Westchester Medical Center. The TIL does testing for the identification of Class I and Class II IgG antibody directed against HLA molecules using a sensitive Luminex microarray platform. Preformed HLA antibody directed at mismatched HLA on transplanted organ increases the probability for early antibody-mediated rejection and graft failure. Antibody directed at HLA Class I (HLA-A*, HLA-B*, HLA-C*) is the major cause of the allo-immune destruction of transfused platelets.

Monitoring for post-transplant HLA antibody aids in the diagnosis of antibody-mediated rejection. A three-color flow cytometry crossmatch is used to test for IgG class antibody reacting with T-Cells and B-Cells from a potential donor as a surrogate for transplant compatibility. The presence or absence of HLA-B27 in a blood sample is determined using a complement dependent cytotoxicity test. HLA typing for other purposes is currently a send out test.

Call Center

The Call Center increases laboratory productivity by allowing the Medical Technologist time to focus on testing. The four-person call center receives phone calls from physicians, nurses, patients’ family members and law enforcement agencies seeking information on patient results, test requirements and specimen storage. The staff’s expertise allows them to filter calls and forward only the calls requiring the Medical Technologist’s attention. The Call Center also makes calls to caregivers. When tests are complete, the laboratory is required to call the physician with critical values. Critical values are automatically sent to the Call Center where they are called and the call is documented in accordance with New York State regulations.