Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/100763
Members of the Client Services call center at UHS are (from left) Lee Ann Roberts, medical technologist; Sue Schmalacker, medical lab technologist; Susan Gaynor, medical lab technician; and Amy Schaefer, medical lab technician. The staff provide helpful answers over the phone to both physicians and consumers who call with questions about lab tests. and answer questions from both providers and consumers. ���We know that our product isn���t just a test result; it���s timely, accurate and understandable clinical information, almost always in an electronic format,��� Engineri says. In addition, the department offers the services of board-certified hematopathologists and cytopathologists, and a board-certified neuropathologist, in support of UHS��� regionally distinctive neurosurgery and oncology programs, and special services for UHS Hospitals��� Breast Center. ���This sets us apart from other labs in the region,��� Engineri says. ���It���s a level of sophistication usually found only in larger cities.��� ���Pathology plays a key role in UHS��� approach to cancer care,��� Dr. Sidhu says. ���We discuss the pathologic diagnosis of cancer patients every day with almost every oncologist on the medical staff.��� This is true in all clinical settings, including the operating room. ���UHS pathologists play a key role in the OR, often identifying ��� in 10 or 15 minutes ��� specific diseases in organs that are removed during surgery,��� Dr. Sidhu says. ���A pathologist���s identification of the specific type of cancer found in a given case can essentially determine the provider���s treatment plan for the patient.��� Engineri agrees that the lab���s role in every aspect of modern medicine is vitally important. And even though labs tend to operate behind the scenes and their role is not always well understood by the public, they offer real value. ���When you recognize that lab costs make up less than 5% of a typical hospital���s budget, yet 70% of clinical decisions are affected by lab results, you know you���re getting a good bang for your buck,��� he says. For more information about laboratory and pathology services offered by UHS, call the Client Services Department at (607) 763-5780. ��� UHS pathologist Jagmohan Sidhu, M.D. meeT dr. sidhu wHeN JagmoHaN SidHu, m.d., was a young doctor in rural India, he yearned to broaden his horizons with a big-city residency. He knew that his quickest shot at such a post would be to specialize in either radiology or pathology. ���I chose pathology,��� he says. ���And immediately I knew I had found what I was looking for.��� A studious practitioner with a love of research, he pursued learning with great relish, completing residencies at two major universities and fellowships at two more, and developing expertise in flow cytometry and the diagnosis of hematologic diseases. Today, he is Medical Director of the pathology program at UHS in Greater Binghamton. Cohosting an annual symposium in Binghamton and speaking at international conferences, he also has collaborated with Andrew Feldman, M.D., a world-renowned Mayo Clinic hematopathologist, and is working on a project with Walker Land, a noted Binghamton University professor. Sonia Brar, M.D., M.P.H., a third-year internal medicine resident at UHS Hospitals, says Dr. Sidhu���s commitment to research and his openness and enthusiasm in working with residents inspired her to learn more about pathology. UHS pathologist Jagmohan Sidhu, M.D., and medical resident Sonia Brar, M.D. ���He is very forthcoming with the medical residents and an excellent mentor,��� she says. ���He does his research evenings and weekends, on his own, with no special funding. He is very committed and a true expert in the field.��� Dr. Sidhu says he is devoted to research because it is so critical to the quality of care provided by doctors and hospitals. ���What pathology determines in any given case can have very big consequences for the patient,��� he says. ���Very often it guides the entire treatment plan, especially for those who are the most seriously ill.��� mdNewS.com ��� MD News Central New York | 13