Grossing Technician

Position Summary

Under the general supervision of a Pathologist or the Managing Pathologist Assistant, accessions, prepares, and performs human specimen (and animal if research) dissection and postmortem (necropsy) examination. Provides technical support to pathology department pathologists and pathology residents (specimen dissection, provision of paperwork, supplies, etc.). Provides technical and logistical support to the laboratories as needed, specifically grossing small biopsies, accessioning surgical specimens, and assisting pathologists in performing frozen sections. Maintains cleanliness and infection control in surgical pathology dissection suites, mortuary, and autopsy facility. Provides support services to the Decedent Affairs Office as required. Assists physicians with autopsies, preparation of death certificates, and related paperwork (autopsy permission, reporting to New England Organ Bank).

Responsibilities

Surgical Pathology Services and Frozen Section Support

• Prepare and gross small surgical, biopsy, and autopsy specimens, including dissecting and sectioning tissues according to standard operating procedures.
• Perform duties of a Histotechnologist: 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.
• Administer the daily operation of the surgical pathology dissection suite.
• Clean and disinfect work area, inventory and stock 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 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 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 concepts of Universal Precautions, chemical hygiene, infection control, and laboratory safety.
• Perform 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 regarding death certificates and body release authorization forms.
• Communicate with funeral directors, hospital house staff, pathology staff, and Medical Examiners’ office regarding autopsies or body release.
• Ensure documents regarding release of deceased patients (death certificates, release authorization forms) are accurate and complete.
• Ensure 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; confer 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, medical record, and any other pertinent data.
• Confer with pathologist to determine necessity for special specimen collection techniques and notify 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 (organ weights, presence of body fluids, 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.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in a laboratory science or medical laboratory technology from an accredited institution OR
• Associate degree in a laboratory science or medical laboratory technology from an accredited institution OR
• Education/training equivalent to the above that includes at least 60 semester hours (or equivalent) from an accredited institution, including 24 semester hours of medical laboratory technology courses OR 24 semester hours of science courses that includes 6 semester hours of chemistry, 6 semester hours of biology, and 12 semester hours of chemistry, biology, or medical laboratory technology in any combination.
• In addition, the individual must have laboratory training including either:
  • Completion of a clinical laboratory training program approved or accredited by ABHES, NAACLA, or other organization approved by HHS (this training may be included in the 60 semester hours above) OR
  • At least 3 months documented laboratory training in each specialty in which the individual performs high complexity testing.
• An associate’s degree plus two years experience is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Pathology Assistants that perform tissue grossing as well as other duties (histology and mortuary services) must meet the minimum educational requirements listed above to qualify as personnel performing high complexity testing.
• Pathology Assistants performing only histological processing (defined as beginning when the tissue is in the cassettes) and/or only mortuary services and autopsy assistance: there is no complexity designation or personnel qualification requirements for performing this stage of specimen preparation.
• Slide preparation for pathologist interpretation is considered processing by CLIA and is not subject to CLIA requirements.
• Applied knowledge of histologic tissue preparation and techniques pertaining to histology is required.

Certifications, Licensures, & Registrations

• Certification is not required, however it is preferred.

Knowledge And Skills