General Information

Introduction

Greenville Pathology, P.A. is dedicated to providing the best pathology services possible. The quality of the results from lab testing is dependent upon the proper collection and subsequent handling of each specimen. This booklet is provided to help your office collect, package, and transport your patient’s specimens.

Greenville Pathology, P.A. will only accept those specimens submitted by providers licensed to practice medicine in their appropriate field of medicine.

Please note that if ever there is a change in the laboratory result that creates a significant difference in the interpretation of test results, a comprehensive explanation will be made to any affected client immediately.

Members of our staff are available for medical and technical consultation at your request. Feel free to contact us whenever necessary.

As new technologies emerge, we will strive to offer these services to your patients. Because the medical field changes so rapidly, all of the available tests may not be listed in your version of the Directory of Services, so please feel free to call the office to inquire about additional ancillary services.

Supplies

All supplies necessary for submitting specimens are provided to clients as part of our service to you. The type/quantity of supplies must correlate with the type/number of specimens submitted to Greenville Pathology, P.A. for testing.

To order supplies:
Click here 
Send a request via your courier
Call our lab at 252-561-7992 extension 4 or 0
Fax us at 252-561-7993, Attention: Linda

Health and Safety Precautions

As always, every specimen should be handled as though it were infectious. The most serious risk to healthcare workers is exposure to blood and body fluids containing the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and hepatitis viruses. Information regarding safe specimen handling may be obtained from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration  (OSHA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Because leaking containers pose a health hazard, all specimens must be placed in a well-constructed container with a secure lid and then placed in specimen bag. Care should also be taken when collecting each specimen to prevent contamination of the exterior of the specimen container and accompanying requisition. Specimens in syringes, with needles, are not allowed by law to be transported. Please properly discard used needles or other sharps prior to transport.

Proper Identification of Specimens

All specimen containers must be labeled with two unique identifiers at the time of collection. Examples of acceptable identifiers include but are not limited to:

1. Patient Name
2. Medical Record Number
3. Date of Birth

All surgical pathology specimen containers also require a specific anatomic site/source. Specimens must be accompanied by a paper requisition, prepared either by hand or printed. During the collection procedure, keep the requisition free of contamination and place it in the side pouch of the specimen transport bag. The requisition should include:

1. Patient name
2. Submitting provider’s name
3. Date of birth
4. Sex
5. Social Security Number
6. Medical Record Number
7. Insurance Information
8. Anatomic site/source of tissue
9. Collection date
10. Pertinent clinical impression and information

Instructions for completing Greenville Pathology, P.A. Requisitions

1. The preprinted information in the upper right hand corner will include:
   1. The name and phone number of your facility.
   2. A cryptic interface abbreviation (for Greenville Pathology, P.A. use only). This information is identical to our computer data for reporting and billing purposes. Please notify us of any changes as soon as possible.
2. Patient information section should include:
   1. Last and first name PRINTED clearly.
   2. Medical record number or patient ID number.
   3. Any name change within the last five (5) years. (i.e., marriage, divorce)
   4. Social security number.
   5. Birth date/sex/race
   6. Collection date of specimen
3. The responsible party section, must include:
   1. Name and address and phone number (including area code) of responsible party.
   2. The submitting M.D. If a physician assistant or other provider is submitting the specimen, the responsible physician must also be listed on the requisition. (If the physician is a visiting physician or student, the physician who is in charge must also be listed.)
   3. Referring M.D.
   4. If additional physicians or institutions need a copy of the report, please designate under “Copy to”.
4. Priority status
   1. If you want the results called or faxed, please fill in the information on the requisition.
   2. RUSH status-check the box on the top of the form.
5. Billing
   1. Check the desired type of billing
   2. An appropriate ICD-10 code or diagnosis must be provided.
   3. Billing Information
      1. Client (physician) billing should be checked if the submitting client wants to be billed for services rendered.
      2. If client is not being billed, “Patient/Insurance” should be marked.
   4. Medicare (routine or diagnostic) or Medicaid-check the appropriate box. (If choosing Medicare, the patient must sign the non-covered services statement located on the left side of the requisition directly above the header “Cytology GYN”)
6. Insurance Information
   1. If the patient has Medicare and/or Medicaid, please provide a complete ID # on the appropriate line. (If either of these are secondary to other provided insurance, please specify)
   2. For primary or secondary insurance, the following information is needed:
      1. Insurance company name
      2. Insurance company address
      3. Policy # in full
      4. Group # if applicable
      5. Subscriber name
      6. Employer of the subscriber
7. Specimen Information-Choose and complete the appropriate section
   1. Cytology-Gyn: Please include the following information:
      1. If the specimen is “ThinPrep®”, check the appropriate box.
      2. The source of the specimen (i.e. vaginal, cervical, endocervical)
      3. Last menstrual period (LMP)
      4. Result of previous pap smear.
      5. Number of slides if conventional.
      6. Check all that apply for clinical information, previous history (i.e. oral contraceptives, postmenopausal bleeding, pertinent procedures or treatments).
   2. Molecular Pathology: Please utilize any applicable sections or free text fields
   3. Cytology-Non-Gyn Section must include source of specimen and any pertinent clinical history
   4. Histology Section: Please include the following information:
      1. Date of operation
      2. Clinical information, pertinent history or operative findings
      3. A pre-operative diagnosis
      4. A post-operative diagnosis
      5. Operation performed-The source(s) of the specimen(s), indicate the type of tissue, (i.e. skin, lymph node) and the anatomic site from which the tissue was removed (i.e. arm, cervix)
      6. Special studies required (i.e. special stains, DNA analysis, etc.)

Completing all the information on the requisition provides the laboratory with information necessary to process the specimen appropriately.

Unacceptable Specimens

Greenville Pathology, P.A. can only perform tests on properly labeled specimens. It is equally important that requisition forms be filled in completely and accurately. There are a number of conditions that will cause a specimen to be considered “unacceptable”, including:

• Specimen and/or requisition received without a patient name
• Empty specimen container
• Name on specimen container and name on requisition do not match
• Specimens received without a requisition
• Requisition received without a specimen
• Multiple specimens received on one patient without specific identification of source on each specimen.
• Any specimen beyond its specific processing life (please refer to particular collection requirements).

Any specimen received with any of the above listed criteria will be given an accession number and logged into the computer as “TNP” (Test Not Performed). A report will be issued showing that the specimen was not processed and the reason for rejection will be listed. The specimen along with the original requisition and a copy of the report will be re-bagged and returned to you. After you have received the rejected specimen, please correct the problem and send the specimen and the original requisition back to us. We will make every effort to expedite its processing.

Billing

The extent of tissue examination can be determined only at the time that the pathologist examines the specimen. The fee for our services will vary based on the number of specimens, size and complexity of the specimen and difficulty of diagnosis. The fees for our service and submission of bills to patients, clients and third parties will be based upon Current Procedural Terminology. Surgical Pathology CPT Codes encompasses procedures 85060 through 89399. Please refer to Physicians Current Procedural Terminology, American Medical Association, P.O. Box 10946, Chicago, Illinois 60610.