About the Department

From the Chair

Welcome to the Department of Pathology website!

I am proud to showcase the comprehensive nature of clinical services, educational activities, and research programs this nationally recognized program has to offer.

Our department comprises a world-class team of faculty, staff, residents and fellows that serve as a critical component to the nationally recognized Loyola University Health System, a leader in the study and treatment of human disease. All 14 clinical laboratories in the department are committed to providing accurate laboratory testing and diagnostic results in a timely manner, mentoring future pathologists and laboratory professionals, and analyzing the causes and treatment of human pathology.

Our highly trained physicians direct the use of state-of-the-art technology that enables all of our staff to handle more than 2.5 million billable inpatient and outpatient procedures annually – including over 35,000 surgical specimens and 22,000 cytology specimens each year. Our extensive exposure to all aspects of anatomic and clinical pathology, including some of the most difficult case areas, creates an unparalleled depth of experience.

Sincerely,

Eva M. Wojcik, MD
Helen M. and Raymond M. Galvin Professor
Chair, Department of Pathology
President, American Society of Cytopathology
Associate Editor, Journal of the American Society of Cytopathology

 

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Our History

The Loyola Pathology Department was created in 1909, when Loyola University of Chicago was first established and a medical department, then affiliated with the Illinois Medical College, was formed. Since its inaugural graduating class in 1910, Loyola medical students and faculty worked out of Mercy Medical Center on Chicago’s South Side. Under the leadership of pathologist Dr. John F. Sheehan, Dean of the Medical School from 1951 to 1968, Loyola began to pursue land and implemented plans for an independent medical center. This forward thinking pathologist is considered one of the four founders of Loyola's academic medical center

The future of our department was shaped in large part by an initiative led by President John F. Kennedy in the early 1960’s. Kennedy’s goal was to enhance cooperation between veterans’ hospitals and university medical centers. Loyola, which already had medical students rotating at Edward Hines, Jr. VA hospital, was the first academic medical school to benefit from this initiative.

The new medical center that was built on the property right across First Avenue in Maywood had previously served as a US Mail airport. This airfield, Checkerboard Airfield, was frequently used by the great Charles Lindberg. The new medical center opened its doors on May 21, 1969. At that time there were very few full time clinical attendings. The first full-time pathologists were Dr. Richard Novaks and Dr. Emilio Orfei. Dr. Emilio Orfei was an astute liver pathologist with extensive academic achievements including a liver pathology text book that was very popular among medical students.

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Our Mission

Our mission is to improve patient care through accurate laboratory testing and diagnostic results. Our fellowship and residency programs are designed to develop compassionate, high caliber pathologists who are dedicated to a lifetime of learning and commitment to patient care.

Loyola University Health System is committed to excellence in patient care and the education of health professionals. We believe that our Catholic heritage and Jesuit traditions of ethical behavior, academic distinction, and scientific research lead to new knowledge and advance our healing mission in the communities we serve. We believe that thoughtful stewardship, learning and constant reflection on experience improve all we do as we strive to provide the highest quality health care. We believe in God’s presence in all our work. Through our care, concern, respect and cooperation, we demonstrate this belief to our patients and families, our students and each other. To fulfill our mission we foster an environment that encourages innovation, embraces diversity, respects life, and values human dignity. We are committed to going beyond the treatment of disease. We also treat the human spirit.

 

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Our Services

Our department at the Loyola University Health System is proud to offer a comprehensive range of technologies and services in anatomic, clinical, and molecular pathology. We provide in-depth consultation on patient diagnosis in more than 40 inpatient and outpatient establishments affiliated with Loyola, as well as provide specialized services to physicians throughout the Chicago area.

Ours is a research-intensive department staffed with nationally and internationally recognized scientists conducting basic research into the mechanisms of disease, and clinical pathologists conducting applied research to bring new technologies to the market.

The Department of Pathology’s primary goal is to provide the most comprehensive information to enable superior patient care. In addition, we aim to foster the continued excellence for which the Loyola University Health System (LUHS) is recognized. Our services provide state-of-the-art, cutting-edge clinical and technical testing that is cost-effective and of the highest quality. We are dedicated to providing accurate, timely information to our physicians, caregivers, and customers.

The Department of Pathology is responsible for the management and oversight of all laboratory services in the LUHS, and we offer a comprehensive program of anatomic and clinical pathology services. Hospital-based, our department handles over 2.5 million billable inpatient and outpatient procedures annually.

Our laboratory is fully accredited by state, federal and professional licensing authorities. The College of American Pathologists is the primary private accreditation organization for our department. However, in limited instances for waived testing only, TJC accreditation is utilized for selected LUHS areas. All laboratory services are internally monitored to assure provision of quality services using the principles of total quality management and application of quality systems. External monitoring of laboratory services is accomplished through participation in outside quality assurance and proficiency testing programs.

Members of our department at the Loyola University Health System (Loyola) offer the complete range of technologies and services in anatomic pathology, clinical pathology and molecular pathology. They provide consultation on patient diagnosis in inpatient and outpatient settings throughout Loyola as well as specialized services in anatomic pathology to physicians throughout the Chicago area. Our faculty are highly sub-specialized also including specialists in renal, bone and soft tissue, ophthalmic and neuropathology who are among only a few in Illinois.

I encourage you to explore this site to learn more about our comprehensive offerings of fellowships, residencies, and ongoing research programs. This website is but a snap-shot of the department. I encourage you to re-visit frequently to keep abreast with our updates. For updates, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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SCOPE

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