SA Pathology, (formerly the Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science (IMVS)), is an organisation providing diagnostic and

clinical pathology Clinical pathology is a medical specialty that is concerned with the diagnosis of disease based on the laboratory analysis of bodily fluids, such as blood, urine, and tissue homogenates or extracts using the tools of chemistry, microbiology, ...

services throughout

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

for the public health sector. The headquarters are in

Frome Road, Adelaide Frome Road is a connecting road in the South Australian capital city of Adelaide. It starts from North Terrace in the Adelaide city centre, running in a northerly direction past the University of South Australia, the site of the old Royal Adela ...

, and it has many patient collection centres and numerous

laboratories A laboratory (; ; colloquially lab) is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific or technological research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. Laboratory services are provided in a variety of settings: physicia ...

located throughout South Australia. The Hanson Centre for Cancer Research was established in 1991 by SA Pathology, broadening its scope of research and becoming the Hanson Institute in 2001. As a

not-for-profit organisation A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

, SA Pathology bulk-bills patients for all Medical Benefits Schedule (MBS) pathology tests. In a recent article by ''

Choice A choice is the range of different things from which a being can choose. The arrival at a choice may incorporate motivators and models. For example, a traveler might choose a route for a journey based on the preference of arriving at a giv ...

'' magazine, it was recognised as the only consistently "no gap,

bulk billing Bulk billing is a payment option under the Medicare system of universal health insurance in Australia. It can cover a prescribed range of health services as listed in the Medicare Benefits Schedule, at the discretion of the health service provid ...

" pathology provider in South Australia.

History

The organisation was established as the Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science (IMVS) in the late 1930s. The Institute began as an offshoot of the

Royal Adelaide Hospital The Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH), colloquially known by its initials or pronounced as "the Rah", is South Australia's largest hospital, owned by the state government as part of Australia's public health care system. The RAH provides tertiary hea ...

laboratories, being located in Frome Road nearby, in what used to be South Australia's principal

teaching hospital A teaching hospital is a hospital or medical centre that provides medical education and training to future and current health professionals. Teaching hospitals are almost always affiliated with one or more universities and are often co-located ...

precinct. RAH Superintendent and Dean of Medicine Sir Trent Champion de Crespigny created a combined laboratory services with clinical pathology training and medical research in one facility. Dr. E. Weston Hurst was appointed its first director in 1937, leaving the role in 1943. In the 1970s, the

Forensic Pathology Forensic pathology is pathology that focuses on determining the cause of death by examining a corpse. A post mortem examination is performed by a medical examiner or forensic pathologist, usually during the investigation of criminal law cases an ...

and

Biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...

divisions relocated, eventually becoming Forensic Science SA. There was growth and diversification in the 1980s, as the relationships with the RAH and the

University of Adelaide The University of Adelaide (informally Adelaide University) is a public research university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. The university's main campus is located on N ...

were strengthened. Following a review recommending the creation of separate science

research laboratories A research institute, research centre, research center or research organization, is an establishment founded for doing research. Research institutes may specialize in basic research or may be oriented to applied research. Although the term often im ...

, with new developments being integrated into IMVS and RAH, the Hanson Institute was established in the early 1990s. In 2008 IMVS merged with the pathology department of the Women's and Children's Hospital and Flinders Medical Centre's South Path, with the resulting organisation being renamed SA Pathology. Also in that year, the Centre for Cancer Biology (CCB) was established within SA Pathology.

Activities

Profits generated from pathology are used to support rural communities, medical training and

medical research Medical research (or biomedical research), also known as experimental medicine, encompasses a wide array of research, extending from "basic research" (also called ''bench science'' or ''bench research''), – involving fundamental scientif ...

. SA Pathology has medical researchers studying diseases and disorders ranging from

blood Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells. Blood in the c ...

breast The breast is one of two prominences located on the upper ventral region of a primate's torso. Both females and males develop breasts from the same embryological tissues. In females, it serves as the mammary gland, which produces and secret ...

and

colon cancer Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel mo ...

bone fracture A bone fracture (abbreviated FRX or Fx, Fx, or #) is a medical condition in which there is a partial or complete break in the continuity of any bone in the body. In more severe cases, the bone may be broken into several fragments, known as a '' ...

rheumatoid arthritis Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-term autoimmune disorder that primarily affects joints. It typically results in warm, swollen, and painful joints. Pain and stiffness often worsen following rest. Most commonly, the wrist and hands are involv ...

asthma Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, cou ...

hepatitis Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver tissue. Some people or animals with hepatitis have no symptoms, whereas others develop yellow discoloration of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice), poor appetite, vomiting, tiredness, abdominal pa ...

infectious disease An infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable dise ...

s and

genetic disorder A genetic disorder is a health problem caused by one or more abnormalities in the genome. It can be caused by a mutation in a single gene (monogenic) or multiple genes (polygenic) or by a chromosomal abnormality. Although polygenic disorders ...

s. As a non-profit organisation, SA Pathology bulk-bills patients for all Medical Benefits Schedule (MBS) pathology tests. In a recent article by ''

'' magazine, it was recognised as the only consistently "no gap,

" pathology provider in South Australia.

Hanson Institute

The Hanson Institute is the research division of the Royal Adelaide Hospital and SA Pathology, which also works in close collaboration with the

. The Hanson Centre for Cancer Research was established in 1991, with funding from the

Australian Cancer Research Foundation The Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) is an Australian not-for-profit organisation which funds research into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of all types of cancer. It provides multimillion-dollar grants for high-end research equ ...

as well as a grant from the Anti-Cancer Foundation, a South Australian organisation It was constructed within the IMVS building, and combined the research arms of the Human Immunology and Haematology Divisions of the IMVS, both of which specialised in

leukaemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ' ...

research. In 2001 the Hanson Institute was opened, which would cover all cancer research for the IMVS and the RAH and would henceforth include many fields of research in addition to cancer. It incorporates: * the Centre for Cancer Research; * the Centre for Bone and Joint Research; * Clinical Research Centre; * Centre for Neurological Diseases; and * the Centre for Biomedical Research.

References

External links

* * * {{authority control 1937 establishments in Australia Veterinary research institutes Medical research institutes in South Australia Veterinary medicine in Australia