Message on Behalf of Dr. Montone and Dr. Litzky:

It is with great pleasure to announce that Dr. Danielle Fortuna will be taking on a new role in the gross room as the Clinical Director of Gross Lab Education and Operations.

As many of you know, Dr. Fortuna is extremely interested in pathology education. Her educational efforts are not only geared to medical students, residents and fellows but also towards Pathologists' Assistants (PAs), Pathology Technologists (PTs) and faculties. In collaboration with and by mentoring outstanding residents and gross room personnel, Dr. Fortuna has developed several unique educational platforms. (See, for example, her most recent publication on "an exploration of an alternative method of learning through gaming in pathology resident education," co-authored with residents in Acad Pathol.) As a result, we are expanding Dr. Fortuna’s role to work with the leadership team to expand and standardize education of PAs, PTs, and trainees, as well as interface with the training program directors and gross lab staff to optimize workflow while enhancing trainee education and experience.  

Dr. Fortuna will also assist the operations team to evaluate current workflows across our three gross labs (HUP, PCAM, and Pavilion), as well as the morgue, to define and establish optimal personnel assignments for each location’s needs, relative to training and productivity. The expansion of our footprint to a third building with limited staffing increase, coupled with the global shortage of technical staff, requires flexibility, innovation and teamwork.

Kathleen T. Montone, MD
Director, Division of Anatomic Pathology

Leslie A. Litzky, MD
Chief of Surgical Pathology