The Richmond VAMC Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service is providing pathology services support for Beckley VAMC. A number of aspects have been improved in this service:
1. Albeit Richmond VAMC had been providing a better turn-around time than they had before we started providing this service, we are now able to provide a more complete and streamlined system via a telepathology system. Instant diagnoses are provided on permanent sections prepared at Beckley. Frozen section diagnosis service in many cases may be possible via this type of communications system. In addition we are also able to give quick consultations on other routine material from hematology, cytology and urinalysis if it were needed on certain emergency cases.
2. Telemedicine teaching is provided to their technologists and physicians via a tele pathology system. For example microbiology , hematology and pathology slides can be viewed and discussed in a teleconferencing setting using a tele-microscopy system as shown below: