Tanya, we pay our lab assistants $13.00-$17.00 an hour.  She is definitely
underpaid for what she is doing.    sharon osborn
-----Original Message-----
From: TABrecken@aol.com <TABrecken@aol.com>
To: Histonet@pathology.swmed.edu <Histonet@pathology.swmed.edu>
Date: Saturday, July 31, 1999 4:36 PM
Subject: Pathology Technical Assitants


>First, let me say thank you for the helpful comments on the debris.  It was
>the type and brand hematoxylin being used and we have since switched.  We
did
>get distilled water run to the histo lab as a side benefit.
>
>I have a technical assistant that works in pathology.  She gets paid the
same
>as a phlebotomy technical assistant. ($6.50/hr)  I feel that this is not
>enough based on her responsibilities.  She is a valuable asset to our
>department and we almost did not make it when she was on vacation.  Her
>duties include:  Picking up specimens, coding charges, accessioning,
>labeling, making cassettes, and assisting the pathologist gross.  She also
>changes the processor and stainer, recycles xylene,
>files slides and blocks, preps cytology, assists with FNA's,  retrieves all
>previous history on patients, pull reports and slides for tumor board,
assist
>in the office with filing and telephones, faxes reports,etc.  She is always
>busy and we constantly compete with the office staff for her help.  A
>superstar employee.
>
>What is the norm out there for such a person?  She holds no license but is
>teachable, trainable and would make a great histotech if I can get her in a
>program without losing her as an employee during training.  I value her
>skills and would like to present my lab  director with a market comparison.
>Can anyone help me?
>
>Thanks,
>Tonia Breckenridge
>Baptist Hospital
>Pensacola, FL
>
>