Thanks to a major renovation, the MSPCA-Angell’s pathology laboratory is now a bright, modern space built for speed, accuracy, and safety. Located on the hospital’s first floor, the new lab replaces a 50-year-old basement facility and is equipped with cutting-edge tools that help our medical teams make faster, more informed decisions.
The highlight of this space is the new MALDI system, which identifies bacteria through DNA analysis in just 10 minutes (down from 48 hours), reducing the amount of time it takes to identify the cause of an infection. New blood processing and storage equipment also ensures immediate, emergency blood supplies for MSPCA-Angell patients and police dogs across the state.
Serving MSPCA-Angell’s main hospital in Boston, including the MSPCA-Angell West, Angell at Essex, and the Boston Community Clinic, the new lab is ready to meet growing demand, delivering timely results that save lives every day.
Karla Starkenberg, clinical pathology technologist, examines blood samples in our hematology lab space, where tests include measuring a patient’s complete blood count (CBC) and clotting speed (PT/INR).
X
Samantha Paula, laboratory supervisor, takes the specific gravity of urine samples, a process used to assess kidney function.
Alejandro Cuellar Alvarado, clinical pathology technician, at work in our chemical pathology space, where we test bodily fluids for different compounds. The presence and/or quantity of these compounds can indicate conditions like poisoning, organ dysfunction, cancer, endocrine disorders and other diseases.
X
Kylie Otton, clinical pathology technologist, and Ali Dugan, pathology assistant, process specimens received for testing. These samples are sent to our pathology lab directly from our clinic and Critical Care Unit via the two pneumatic tubes pictured.
X
Jade MacMillan, lab point of care technician, examines tissue biopsies and enters observations into a computer within our histology lab.
X
Ciana Daron, histotechnician, uses a microtome to section biopsies for examination by our histology lab.
X
Supervisor Samantha Paula uses our microbiology lab’s MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer to identify the type of bacteria present in a sample.
X
Pathology supervisor Samantha Paula prepares an antibiotic sensitivity test, which examines how cultured bacteria taken from a patient respond to different medicines and determines which antibiotic is most effective in treating that infection.
