Chair's Welcome

Welcome to the Department of Pathology website. We are a full-service academic pathology department consisting of Anatomic Pathology and Clinical Pathology divisions as well as our basic science Comparative Medicine section. We are the clinical and academic hub for pathology in the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist system and provide Pathology service line and academic leadership for the Atrium Health Enterprise. With over 50 faculty members here on the Winston-Salem campus, our expertise spans the spectrum of subspecialties in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. Last year we performed over 6.4 million billable tests, accessioned over 43,000 surgical pathology cases and 22,000 cytology cases. Our forensic pathologists performed approximately 1900 autopsies. Our Pathology residency and fellowship training programs, along with our training programs in Comparative Medicine, are educating the next generation of pathologists, veterinary pathologists and researchers. True to our mission, the Department conducts clinical, translational and basic research. Extramural funding totals approximately $13.2 million in grants and contracts. Department faculty authored or coauthored over 140 peer-reviewed manuscripts, many in high impact journals. We are committed to providing high quality, subspecialty pathology and laboratory medicine services to our patients and clinical colleagues. We innovate through research and development, and train students, technologists, physicians and scientists. We are a unique Department that, in addition to traditional activities and responsibilities of an academic Pathology Department, is an integral part of a larger health system Pathology and Laboratory Medicine service. This allows us to leverage our scale to improve clinical services and academic activities.

Please enjoy exploring our website. The below is an excerpt from a recent newsletter to give you an idea of current events within the Department. Please feel free to contact us should you have questions or wish to learn more about us.

The View from the Chair

“A kind word is like a spring day” – ancient proverb. Spring is approaching and we are preparing for another season of new beginnings. We have bid adieu to Dr. Hsi who departed January 5th. We all will miss Dr. Hsi and are grateful for his energy and steadfast leadership. I recall some words from Dr. Hsi’s departing message: 

It has been a privilege to serve as the Chair of the Department of Pathology. There have been many changes and challenges over the past three years. You have all responded with professionalism and successfully navigated through them. More challenges will come and responding with the spirit of continuous improvement and striving for high reliability and accountability will serve you well. The health system around us is changing rapidly, bringing new challenges and opportunities. The unique position of this Department, as the only academic center in the system, will allow you to demonstrate the value of a tripartite mission of education, research and clinical service. 

All the best in your future endeavors. I look forward to following your progress from further north and celebrating your successes.” - Dr. Eric Hsi 

When the newsletter is published, the Encompass go-live will be just behind us. What a huge accomplishment by every member of the department. We have been preparing for over a year- building, testing, harmonizing- and now share the same Encompass EPIC in the Southeast region. This effort will bear much fruit in the coming years to reduce inefficiencies and improve patient care. 

There are so many more important projects underway in our diverse department. As we prepare to welcome the spring season, please take a moment to reflect on the efforts of our team over this past year. Be proud of the efforts and accomplishments of the Department. I am very grateful and proud to be among this wonderful team.