Norton Children’s pathology services are designed to meet the special needs of babies, children and teenagers. Norton Children’s has the only board-certified pediatric pathologists in Kentucky available to help diagnose and create treatment plans for conditions in unborn babies, infants, children and adolescents.

Our pathologists are board certified in anatomic pathology and/or clinical pathology, as well as subspecialized in pediatric pathology. This means they have achieved the highest level of competence in these areas, as verified by a professional medical board.

What Does a Pathologist Do?

Autopsies are an important area in the practice of pathology. Despite misconceptions, though, autopsies actually are a small part of what pathologists do. Pathologists study blood, body fluids, tissue and other body samples to help diagnose, treat and monitor diseases and illnesses. This includes hematology (the study of the blood), cytology (the study of cells) and surgical pathology (the study of tissue removed during surgery).

Pathologists are an integral part of the health care team, providing vital information and guidance in the care of patients. Although you might never meet a pathologist, he or she is engaged in care every day.

Pathology at Norton Children’s

In addition to looking at tissue under a microscope, Norton Children’s pathologists participate in clinical research and oversee activities in clinical laboratories, developing and implementing newer and better ways to provide patient care. They also are active in teaching and training medical students, residents and fellows. Norton Children’s is home to an electron microscope, providing a wide range of testing capabilities for patients in Louisville and Southern Indiana.

Due to the nature of the work they do, pathologists often do not get to meet patients face to face. Nevertheless, they care deeply and personally about our patients, treating every sample with the utmost care, as though it were from a family member or close friend.

Our pathologists work closely with Norton Children’s surgical, hematology and oncology physicians to provide the best patient care. They strive to deliver accurate results quickly to health care providers. Contact your child’s doctor’s office for any pathology results.

The Norton Children’s Difference

The care your child needs is close to home at Norton Children’s. With a 125-year presence in Louisville, Norton Children’s is a leader in pediatric care across Kentucky and Southern Indiana, providing an expanded footprint that includes:

• Norton Children’s Hospital – The region’s only full-service, free-standing pediatric hospital and Louisville’s only Level I Pediatric Trauma Center. Norton Children’s Hospital also has one of the largest Level IV (highest level) neonatal intensive care units in the country.
• Numerous regional outpatient centers and extensive pediatrician and pediatric specialist offices throughout the area.
• Norton Women’s & Children’s Hospital – The only women’s hospital in Louisville, providing care dedicated to the needs of women and children.
• Norton Children’s Medical Center – A unique regional outpatient facility designed “Just for Kids,” bringing pediatric care to northeastern Jefferson County and the surrounding area.

Norton Children’s Offers Specialized Programs and Services, Including:

• Norton Children’s Cancer Institute, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine, and the Addison Jo Blair Cancer Care Center, which is one of the oldest oncology programs continuously accredited by the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer.
• Norton Children’s Heart Institute, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine, a pioneer in pediatric cardiothoracic surgery. Norton Children’s heart transplant surgeons performed Kentucky’s first heart transplant in a newborn in 1986, making the hospital the second site in the United States for infant transplants. Norton Children’s Hospital is home to the Jennifer Lawrence Cardiac Intensive Care Unit.
• Pediatric neurology and neurosurgery, including a Level 4 epilepsy center
• Orthopedic surgery and rehabilitation