Specialized lab medicine services include chemistry, cytogenetics, flow cytometry, hematology, immunology, microbiology, phlebotomy and point of care testing.
Clinical Pathology
Our expert clinical pathologists offer diagnostic testing services to University of Vermont Health providers and to hospitals and private practices across the region. We perform a wide range of diagnostic testing, including both highly automated assays and specialized tests performed manually.
High Volume Testing
High Volume Testing operates 24/7, analyzing thousands of samples per day.
- Arterial and venous blood gas measurements
- Cardiac markers
- Complete metabolic panels
- Fluid osmolality
- Lipid panels
- Liver panels
- Thyroid assays
- Urinalysis
Chemistry and Special Chemistry Testing
Chemistry and Special Chemistry Testing operates 24/7. Certain assays may be available via STAT requests outside of Monday-Friday, 8 am-5 pm.
- Basic routine chemistry testing on blood and urine
- Endocrine testing
- Hepatitis and HIV screening
- Immunosuppressant drug monitoring
- Hemoglobin electrophoresis
- Therapeutic drug monitoring
- Tumor marker assays (PSA, CEA, Ca125, C199, C279)
- Lead testing
- Infectious disease markers, including Lyme disease
- Medical Director, Chemistry: Clayton Wilburn, MD
- Manager, Chemistry and Special Chemistry: Ashley Holtz, MT
- Supervisor, Chemistry and Special Chemistry: Judy Schwenn, MT
- Technical Specialist, Chemistry and Special Chemistry: Heather Lothian, MT
Cytogenetics
We offer chromosome analysis (karyotyping) to assist in the diagnosis and classification of constitutional disorders and many malignancies. Chromosome analysis and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis are available for the testing of peripheral or cord blood, bone marrow, solid tumors, lymph nodes, fine needle aspirates and fetal tissue.
The Cytogenetics Laboratory is open Monday – Friday, 8 am–4:30 pm and Saturday, 8 am–12 pm.
- Cancer analysis: Evaluation of solid tumors (including sarcomas, renal cell carcinomas and lipomas) and lymphomas, leukemia and other hematologic disorders
- Peripheral blood analysis: Identification of chromosomal causes of recurrent miscarriage or infertility, chromosome abnormalities and suspected aneuploidy (such as Turner syndrome or Klinefelter syndrome)
- Products of conception analysis: Identification of chromosomal causes of recurrent miscarriage or fetal death
- Medical Director, Cytogenetics: Juli-Anne Gardner, MD
- Manager, Cytogenetics: Michele Baker, MT (ASCP)
- Supervisor, Cytogenetics: Carolyn Henderson
- Technical Specialist, Cytogenetics: Rebecca Goetz
Flow Cytometry
Multiparametric flow cytometry is used to measure the physical and chemical properties of cells.
- Absolute CD3 monitoring: Absolute CD3 cell count represents the total number of CD3+ cells in a given blood sample
- CD19/20 Rituximab panel: Assessment of the effectiveness of Rituximab therapy
- CD34 stem cell enumeration: Performed on peripheral blood and apheresis samples for stem cell transplantation
- Leukemia and lymphoma panels: Immunophenotyping to diagnose hematologic malignancy
- Lymphocyte subset analysis: Analysis of T cell, B cell and NK cell subsets to evaluate immune competency underlying known or unknown disease states and monitor of lymphocyte levels following organ transplantation
- Division Chief: Marian Rollins-Raval
- Manager, Flow Cytometry: Michele Baker, MT (ASCP)
- Supervisor, Flow Cytometry: Carolyn Henderson
- Technical Specialist, Flow Cytometry: Barbara Keefe
Hematology
We provide routine and advanced lab services, working closely with attending pathologists and residents to aid in the diagnosis of hematologic disorders such as iron deficiency anemia, sickle cell disease and leukemia.
- Body fluid analysis, cell counts and differentials
- Bone marrow processing and staining
- Cerebrospinal fluid analysis, cell counts and differentials
- Complete and differential blood counts
- Hematocrit test
- Kleihauer-Betke test (to quantitate fetal-maternal hemorrhage)
- Lamellar body count (to assess fetal lung maturity)
- Manual white blood cell counts
- Manual platelet counts
- Sedimentation rates
- Semen analysis
- Sickle cell disease screening
- Synovial fluid analysis
- Division Chief: Marian Rollins-Raval
- Manager, Hematology: Michele Baker, MT (ASCP)
- Supervisor, Hematology: Carolyn Henderson
- Technical Specialist, Hematology: Russell Brown, MT (ASCP)
Microbiology
We conduct and interpret testing for patients with viral, bacterial, fungal and parasitic infections.
Special Microbiology Testing
- Bacterial PCR testing: For Bordetella pertussis, bacterial enteric pathogens, Group B strep and C. difficile
- DNA testing: For human papillomavirus (HPV)
- Mycobacteriology: Culture, smear and DNA probes for culture confirmation
- Mycology: Culture, smear and cryptococcal antigen testing
- Parasitology: For routine antigen detection, blood parasite exams and arthropod and worm identification
- Transcription mediated amplification: For chlamydia and gonorrhea
- Virology PCR testing: For cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpes simplex virus (HSV-1 and HSV-2), respiratory viruses and varicella-zoster virus (VZV)
Other Services
- Identification of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria with appropriate susceptibility testing
- Screening for Methicillin resistant Staphylococci
- Vice Chair and Medical Director, Microbiology: Christina Wojewoda, MD
- Manager, Microbiology: Ashley Holtz, MT
- Supervisor, Microbiology: Tyler Sanville
- Technical Specialist, Microbiology: Roberta Francis, MT (ASCP)
- Technical Specialist, Microbiology: Chelsea Rheaume
Transfusion Medicine
Transfusion medicine has two functions: the blood bank and the cellular therapy laboratory.
Our blood bank oversees patient blood management and blood inventory management. We transfuse approximately 10,000 units of blood, cryoprecipitate, plasma, platelets and red blood cells each year.
Blood bank services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- Autologous stem cell processing and storage for re-infusion
- Compatibility testing
- Detection of antibodies to red blood cell antigens
- Direct antibody testing
- Maternal-fetal testing
- Red blood cell typing
- Medical Director, Transfusion Medicine: Jacqueline Poston, MD
- Manager, Blood Bank and Stem Cell: Michele Baker, MT (ASCP)
- Supervisor, Blood Bank and Stem Cell: Michael Jay Phillips
- Technical Specialist, Blood Bank and Stem Cell: Caleb McLane
- Technical Specialist, Blood Bank: Lynn Griswold