Pathology Referral Specialist - Pathology Outside Services

The Surgical Pathology department at MD Anderson Cancer Center is a nationally recognized leader in cancer diagnostics, providing expert pathology consultation and specialized testing that directly guide patient diagnosis and treatment. The department receives complex pathology cases from across the country and around the world, requiring exceptional coordination, accuracy, and communication to ensure specimens and supporting documentation are processed efficiently and routed to the appropriate subspecialty teams.

This Pathology Referral Specialist position offers the opportunity to serve as a critical link between referring institutions, physicians, pathologists, and laboratory teams. The role is ideal for someone who enjoys coordinating complex workflows, reviewing detailed medical documentation, and providing exceptional customer service while supporting timely cancer diagnosis and specialized pathology testing.

In this role, you will coordinate the intake and processing of referral pathology cases by reviewing outside pathology reports, clinical documentation, biomarker requests, laboratory requisitions, billing information, and other supporting materials to ensure cases are complete and ready for processing. You will identify missing information, communicate with internal and external stakeholders to resolve discrepancies, and ensure all required documentation is obtained to facilitate timely case accessioning and testing.

You will also play a key role in case coordination and pathology workflow management by determining the appropriate pathology subspecialty for diagnostic reviews and biomarker testing, accurately documenting case information within laboratory information systems, tracking receipt of outside materials, and monitoring work queues to ensure cases move efficiently through each stage of the diagnostic process. Your attention to detail will help maintain turnaround times while supporting high-quality patient care.

Providing exceptional customer service and communication is a core responsibility of this position. You will interact professionally with physicians, pathology staff, outside healthcare organizations, commercial laboratories, and referring institutions through phone and email communications, providing timely updates, resolving questions, and ensuring a positive experience for both internal and external customers. Strong interpersonal skills, professionalism, and the ability to manage multiple priorities are essential for success.

The ideal candidate will possess strong organizational skills, exceptional attention to detail, excellent communication abilities, and experience working with medical documentation, pathology, laboratory operations, or healthcare administration. Individuals who enjoy coordinating complex processes while supporting accurate cancer diagnostics and delivering outstanding customer service will find this role especially rewarding.

MD Anderson offers a comprehensive total rewards package, including paid medical benefits, generous paid time off, retirement plans, tuition assistance, professional development opportunities, and additional benefits, along with the opportunity to build a rewarding career at one of the world's leading cancer centers dedicated to excellence in patient care, research, education, and innovation.

The ideal candidate will have prior pathology or laboratory experience or experience providing administrative support to these areas. The hours are Monday - Friday 8am - 5pm

JOB SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES

Organize and assimilate pathology case materials and paperwork 

Documents receipt of materials in Access database, updating information as pre-accession actions are taken. Perform a thorough review of all associated paperwork (ie outside pathology report, outside billing information, request report translations as needed for international cases, in-house clinician orders for testing, commercial laboratory requisition, etc). Determine additional materials, information or reports needed for processing and initiate action to request/obtain. Compare materials/documents received against information in HIS, initiating communication to PAS to resolve discrepancies or to initiate financial clearance for marker testing.

Determine pathology subspecialty of case materials and document all accessioning or case processing actions in
 
LIS Analyze and interpret internal and external path reports to determine the appropriate subspecialty service to process the biomarker/protocol or diagnostic review request. Checks selected information after pathologist review for biomarkers or after initial case accession for diagnostic review. Accurately documents selected specimens and other details for biomarker testing. Accurately documents receipt of outside materials and counts for dx review. Provides feedback to faculty and ordering clinicians through emails as necessary

Provide high quality customer service via email and/or telephone 

Interacts appropriately with customers, both internal and external, for different purposes to perform assigned tasks. Communicates effectively through written and oral communication, in a timely manner. Strong interpersonal skills include tact, diplomacy, and flexibility.

Monitor worklists or queues to facilitate transfer to respective next departmental action 

Periodically review assigned pending cases to assure compliance with expected turnaround time expectations for completion of task. Document transfer of materials no longer needed for testing or diagnostic review to the Pathology File Room for archiving or return to home facility

Other duties as assigned