International Pathology Day, 10 November, is an opportunity to recognise the significant contribution that pathology has made throughout the pandemic.
Monash Health Pathology is the largest public pathology provider in Victoria and while the team usually operate behind the scenes in patient care, the vital role they have played in COVID-19 testing has seen them step into the spotlight.
Through outstanding teamwork, resilience and dedication, our pathology laboratories have continued to provide exceptional services during challenging times.
Beyond COVID-19 tests, 70% of all medical diagnoses and 100% of all cancer diagnoses rely on pathology. In the past year alone Monash Health Pathology have supported our health service and community by producing 50.2 million results from 1.4 million requests.
It takes a team of dedicated experts to produce a pathology result, from our collection and reception teams to our scientists, technicians, lab assistants and pathologists, all supported by our operations, quality, clinical trials, IT, billing, and courier teams.
Hear from the Monash Health Pathology Team
Dr Samar Ojaimi, Unit Head of Immunology, shared what she enjoys most about pathology and the impact it can have on patient care.
“As an Immuno-pathologist, there is nothing more gratifying than communicating with clinicians regarding a patient with a challenging condition, and in the end, seeing the difference we can make to the care of that patient”.
Associate Professor Zhong Lu, Unit Head of Biochemistry, reflected on her passion for pathology and what working in this field means to her.
“I love the detective work sorting out the causes for an abnormal test result and working with multi-disciplinary teams to make a diagnosis so that we can provide personalised patient care.
“I love using pathology data to find patterns so that I can get insights of a disease process that I cannot obtain easily from textbooks.”
“I also love teaching medical students and collaborating with colleagues in research.”
In celebration of International Pathology Day, Dr Rhonda Pawlowski, Anatomical Pathology Registrar and Piero Nelva, Medical Scientist, Anatomical Pathology shared their insights into their roles and the contribution they make to the diagnosis and treatment of patients. Watch their interview below.
To all employees of the Monash Health Pathology team, on International Pathology Day, we say thank you for your hard work, dedication and commitment to your work and to the patients you help care for. See some of the team in action below!
Approved by Michael Smolen, Client Relationship Manager, Monash Health Pathology.