For Dahl Chase Diagnostic Services in Bangor, Maine, adopting digital pathology was not just a way to keep up with technological trends—it became necessary to save a considerable amount of time and money. Thanks to the location of the group, and the fact that the company’s pathologists act as medical directors for 20 hospital laboratories, it was not uncommon for pathologists to spend far too much of their workday on the road.
“Our pathologists at that time were traveling back and forth to this remote location one to two times a week to perform frozen sections,” Dahl Chase’s Director of Clinical Operations Michele Robinson, HTL(ASCP)CM, MBA, explained in NSH’s The Digital Pathology Journey webinar. “The amount of professional time wasted on travel and waiting for specimens was detrimental to our group.”
To solve this problem, Dahl Chase needed a single digital platform to serve and connect all its facilities. This meant finding the right scanner based on a list of characteristics that were most important:
Quality: When choosing a scanner, Dahl Chase needed a product that was as good, or better, than the microscopes the pathologists were already using. Otherwise, it would have defeated the purpose of implementing digital pathology.
Capacity and Speed: As a lab that processes at least 2,000 slides a day, Dahl Chase looked for a scanner that could handle the workload. If a product was not designed for high throughput, it would only slow everyone in the lab down.
“We need a scanner to run slides through efficiently as to not hold up cases,” said Robinson.
Ease of Use: Just as capacity and speed was considered to ensure efficiency, Dahl Chase also considered how easy a system would be to use because that would impact how much work could get done.
“Let’s not sugarcoat this: We are adding another step to an already overloaded histology department,” Robinson said. “We needed this step to be as little of a burden as possible.”
Ergonomics: Since working in a lab can be challenging from an ergonomic standpoint, the team really needed a product that would accept racks directly from the H&E scanner.
Service: Rapid service calls are not easy for Dahl Chase given the company’s location—even from vendors that have made sales visits to the office.
“We never have vendors that mind traveling here to sell us equipment, but servicing it is a whole different ballgame,” Robinson said. “We have learned to be very clear and concise with our service expectations and have them written into our contracts.”
Digital pathology is the way of the future, and in order to take advantage of it, labs need the right tools. This endeavor should not be taken lightly, so to find more information about researching, choosing, and implementing the technology you need, watch NSH’s The Digital Pathology Journey webinar. By learning from organizations that have successfully made the transition, laboratories can better anticipate challenges, avoid common pitfalls, and maximize the return on their investment. A thoughtful approach to scanner selection and implementation can help ensure a smoother workflow, improved collaboration, and long-term success with digital pathology.
If you are interested in learning more about Digital Pathology, members can join the NSHCollaborate: Digital Pathology community group or check out the Digital Pathology, Imaging & Data Science track at the 2026 NSH Histotechnology Convention in San Antonio, Texas!
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