UCSF Pathology Department Launches Telepathology Consultations to Tanzania

The UCSF Department of Pathology has partnered with American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) to provide telepathology consultations to pathology colleagues in Tanzania using whole slide imaging technology. The program, which launched in September 2018, is a multi-institutional collaboration between ASCP, Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH), Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center (KCMC), UCSF and Duke University. Drs. Dianna Ng, Ronald Balassanian and Sarah Umetsu are leading the effort at UCSF, where 15 pathology faculty members have volunteered to offer their subspecialty expertise on a broad range of challenging cases.

This new effort will improve cancer care by allowing all patients who are treated at MNH and KCMC to have access to expert pathologist review. This initiative also continues to foster the longstanding partnership between Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) and UCSF, and will open new collaborative opportunities in teaching and research.