Pathology Administrative Assistant

HCA Healthcare; Portsmouth (NH); On-site; USD 34,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Wellbeing services

Paid time off

401(k) match

Tuition assistance

Fertility benefits

Life insurance

Job summary

Portsmouth Regional Hospital is seeking an Administrative Lab Assistant to organize and coordinate pathology department functions, handle patient registration, and accession pathology orders. The role includes processing specimens, responding to inquiries, and maintaining logs to support the pathology team.

The position requires a high school diploma or GED with 1–3 years of experience preferred, and offers benefits as part of HCA Healthcare.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• 1-3 years experience preferred in a healthcare or administrative role.

Responsibilities

• Organizes and coordinates multiple functions in the Pathology Department.
• Performs patient registration and accessions pathology orders.
• Processes pathology specimens to prepare for shipping and testing.
• Responds to phone inquiries in a timely manner and refers problems to the supervisor.
• Maintains specimen logs, pending lists and supports team communication.

Skills

Clerical skills

Communication

Education

High school diploma or GED

Job description

Do you have the career opportunities as a(an) Administrative Lab Assistant you want with your current employer? We have an exciting opportunity for you to join Portsmouth Regional Hospital which is part of the nation's leading provider of healthcare services, HCA Healthcare.

Job Summary and Qualifications

POSITION SUMMARY :

Organizes and coordinates multiple functions in the Pathology Department. Performs patient registration and accessions pathology orders as appropriate. Process pathology specimens to prepare for shipping and testing. Responds to phone inquiries in a timely manner and refers problems to the appropriate supervisor. Performs other clerical duties including maintaining specimen logs, pending lists and support communication amongst the team.

Perform other duties as assigned:

• Collect specimens from multiple locations (OR, SSU, ENDO, Ambulatory Center, Radiology, Nuclear Medicine, Breast Center and main Laboratory) multiple times throughout the day for processing.
• Assign accession numbers for each specimen, cytology and surgical, and prepare designated number of cassettes per protocol list designated by specimen type with assigned surgical number for gross inspection and dictation by Pathology Assistant.
• Research and print patient history from Expanse and/or call provider offices for histories, to accompany slides to the pathologist.
• Enter patient clinical history and providers into requisitions accurately.
• Weekly tissue dumps (excessive standing, bending, kneeling, and reaching) and putting signed out specimen containers into large biohazard container for pickup by environmental services.
• Ability to lift and carry 20 pounds (cases of paper, boxes of pathology liquids, miscellaneous supplies).
• Prepare slides, tissue blocks, surgical reports, clinical histories, demographics, and imaging reports for requesting pathology cases to be sent to other Medical facilities for consultation or continuing healthcare treatment (>1000 per year) with accurate demographics and billing information.
• Maintains organizational performance goals.
• Prepare slides or paraffin blocks to be sent to referring laboratories for further testing (>1500 per year).
• Assist with calling for service or maintenance for cryostat and cassette printer.
• Evaluate and change frozen section fluids daily/weekly.
• Maintain accurate and complete logs for all surgical and cytology reports, slides, and blocks sent out to other facilities or physicians.
• Maintains Quality Assurance program for surgical/cytologic cases sent for consultation or continuing healthcare. Retrieve slides and consultation reports for comparison for hospital Quality Assurance.
• Assist Pathologist Assistant in staining slides on frozen section specimen.
• Enter accurate billing codes into Expanse for all pathology specimen.
• Send weekly peripheral smears, outreach requisitions and demographics, and billing to Med Receivable.
• Prepare tumor board slides and reports on weekly basis for Breast Tumor Board, General Tumor Board for Parkland and Portsmouth, and for Chest Tumor Conferences.
• Enter Portsmouth, Frisbie, and Parkland results from outside testing into Expanse, fax reports to providers, and send paperwork to Medical Records.
• Retrieve specimen from the Morgue and return specimen to the Morgue after evaluation. Remove specimen from Morgue after appropriate disposal time.
• Purge slides weekly to maintain 10-year retention.
• Order supplies and provider weekly supply inventory.
• Deliver formalin/specimen containers to multiple locations throughout the hospital.
• Order slides and blocks from external histology laboratory to ensure accurate tracking of specimen.

EXPERIENCE:

High school or GED required

1-3 years experience preferred

Benefits

Portsmouth Regional Hospital, offers a total rewards package that supports the health, life, career and retirement of our colleagues. The available plans and programs include:

• Comprehensive benefits for medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, behavioral health and telemedicine services
• Wellbeing support, including free counseling and referral services
• Time away from work programs for paid time off, paid family leave, long- and short-term disability coverage and leaves of absence
• Savings and retirement resources , including a 401(k) Plan with a 100% match on 3% to 9% of pay (based on years of service), Employee Stock Purchase Plan, flexible spending accounts, preferred banking partnerships, retirement readiness tools, rollover support and financial wellbeing counseling
• Education support through tuition assistance, student loan assistance, certification support, dependent scholarships and a partnership with Galen College of Nursing
• Additional benefits for fertility and family building, adoption assistance, life insurance, supplemental health protection plans, auto and home insurance, legal counseling, identity theft protection and consumer discounts

Learn more about Employee Benefits (https://careers.hcahealthcare.com/pages/employee-benefits-and-rewards)

Note: Eligibility for benefits may vary by location.

At Portsmouth Regional Hospital (https://portsmouthhospital.com/) , you're not just joining a hospital—you’re becoming part of a mission-driven team that’s redefining healthcare excellence across the Seacoast region. As a 240-bed acute care facility in Portsmouth, NH, we proudly serve communities throughout New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts. We’re the only hospital in the area to be recognized as an ACS Verified Level II Trauma Center and a Comprehensive Stroke Center, and we offer a robust heart and vascular program—giving our team the opportunity to work at the forefront of life‑saving care.

As part of the HCA Healthcare family, you’ll be supported by one of the nation’s leading healthcare systems, with a strong presence in New Hampshire that includes four hospitals, three freestanding emergency rooms, and over 70 care sites. Here, nearly 5,000 colleagues—including 1,500 nurses and 1,000 affiliated physicians—collaborate to deliver exceptional care and innovation every day. Whether you’re at Portsmouth, Catholic Medical Center (https://catholicmc.com/) in Manchester, Parkland Medical Center (http://www.parklandmedicalcenter.com) in Derry, Frisbie Memorial Hospital (http://www.frisbiehospital.com) in Rochester, or one of our emergency facilities in Seabrook, Dover, or Plaistow, you’ll find a culture that values your expertise, supports your growth, and empowers you to make a real difference.

HCA Healthcare has been recognized as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies® by the Ethisphere Institute more than ten times. In recent years, HCA Healthcare spent an estimated $3.7 billion in cost for the delivery of charitable care, uninsured discounts, and other uncompensated expenses.

"Bricks and mortar do not make a hospital. People do."- Dr. Thomas Frist, Sr.

HCA Healthcare Co-Founder

We are an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.