Our skilled Clinical Pathology team uses high-tech equipment and the latest methods to provide fast, accurate results. We handle everything from routine blood tests to sophisticated analysis for treating complex diseases. Through collaboration with specialized reference laboratories, we have access to virtually any test that is not performed in our own labs. Our clinical laboratories generate over six million test results each year.

Your provider may recommend laboratory testing to help them in their evaluation and management plan. Make sure to let your care team know what medicines or supplements you're taking. They will tell you how to prepare for your test. For many tests, you don't need an appointment, but check with your doctor.

When you come to the lab, be sure to bring:

• Lab order from your doctor
• Photo ID
• Your insurance card

Penn State Health provides quality, accurate and timely diagnostic testing. Our participation in stringent regulatory and accreditation activities means you can be assured of the outstanding diagnostic expertise guiding your care. These national accreditations and certifications show we meet rigorous quality standards:

• American Association of Blood Banks
• American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics
• Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act
• College of American Pathologists
• Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy
• The Joint Commission
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Lab analysis requires advanced skill and precision. Our clinical pathologists — doctors who specialize in lab testing - work with your doctor for diagnosis and treatment planning. Clinical  pathologists oversee all clinical laboratory testing and procedures (for instance, therapeutic apheresis) in the clinical laboratory and provide essential test interpretation expertise needed by clinicians to assist them in the correct interpretation of many specialized, high-complexity tests. 

These tests include those used to diagnose new viral infections (e.g., COVID-19 or SARS-2 and other novel respiratory virus infections), molecular (DNA and RNA) sequence analysis for diagnosis of congenital (inherited) disorders, “personalized” drug treatments and monitoring disease in patients with cancer and disorders associated with abnormal bleeding or predisposition to blood clots in the legs, heart and brain. Clinical pathologists also work with your doctor to provide direct patient care and oversee specialized procedures used to treat numerous autoimmune diseases, organ rejection following transplantation and collection of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells for cancer treatment.

Related Services and Treatments

• Blood bank services
• Blood and clotting analysis (hematology, thrombosis and hemostasis)
• Blood draws (phlebotomy)
• Chemical analysis of body fluids and tissues (clinical chemistry)
• Clinical pathology
• Collection of specific blood components (apheresis)
• Drug testing and toxicology
• Genetic testing (molecular diagnostics)
• Microscopic analysis of body fluids (microscopy)
• Pathology test catalog
• Personalized medicine
• Testing for bacteria and other microorganisms (microbiology)
• Therapeutic apheresis and phlebotomy (direct patient care)
• Transfusion services
• Transplantation compatibility testing (histocompatibility)
• Urinalysis
• Virus testing (virology)