Philips Digital & Computational Pathology recently launched the 100% Digital Award to recognize the groundbreaking achievements of pathology labs that have successfully transitioned to an entirely digital way of working. Philips sees this award as a way to celebrate the labs that have achieved the status of being “100% Digital” in histopathology. Digital pathology is the default diagnostic tool for all pathologists in these pioneering labs.
The first 100% Digital Award commends Granada University Hospitals for successfully adopting a digital pathology system, the Philips IntelliSite Pathology Solution. Digital pathology involves transforming FFPE (formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded) slides for surgical pathology into high-resolution digital images, which can then be viewed, analyzed, annotated, and shared with other pathologists simultaneously. These virtual slides can be diagnosed directly on a computer screen and allow pathologists to view at a full spectrum of low to high power magnification. By implementing the Philips IntelliSite Pathology Solution, Granada set aside the traditional workflow of glass slides and physical microscopes in favor of an efficient digital workflow consisting of computer workstations and scanned slides.
Philips presented the first 100% Digital Award in Spain in February 2019, recognizing Granada University Hospitals for successfully practicing 100% digital pathology. Granada is home to the first fully digital pathology lab in Spain, and its team of 23 pathologists analyzes over 1,000 tissue slides each day. In 2018, the team analyzed more than 56,000 biopsy samples across sites in the cities of Granada, Motril and Baza.
Over 80 industry professionals attended the awards ceremony, including Pathologists, Residents, Lab Technicians, Clerical staff and Hospital Management. The ceremony started with an introduction to Philips Digital & Computational Pathology by Stuart Shand (Commercial Director of Europe & Russia) followed by an overview of Granada’s achievements to date and presentation of the 100% Digital Award. Dr. Raimundo Garcia del Moral (Head of Pathology) and Dr. Dolores Quintero (Medical Director, Granada Hospital) received the award and commended their team on this achievement.
“As Director of the Pathology Laboratory of Granada, it is a great honor for me to accept, on behalf of all the professionals of our Unit, the distinction that Philips gives us for achieving a 100% digital state in Histopathology,” Dr. Garcia del Moral stated in his acceptance speech. “This award is an added incentive to continue working on automating processes in Pathology.”
The physical award was designed to symbolize the transition from the microscope to a digital screen. It depicts a traditional glass slide joined with a whole slide digital image containing rich information and intricate detail. These digital images are powerful tools for pathologists, helping them to analyze samples and prepare pathology reports more accurately and efficiently.
“The Philips IntelliSite Pathology Solution is one of the most advanced in the world,” said Dr. Garcia del Moral. “It perfectly adapts to the needs of an Anatomical Pathology Unit of the twenty-first century.”
The event generated significant attention on social media and was widely covered by local publications such as Granada Hoy, La Vanguardia and El Independiente de Granada. This ceremony marks the start of the 100% Digital Award campaign, which will run throughout the year and honor customers for their unwavering commitment to implementing digital technologies to advance the field of pathology.
Who/where Granada University Hospitals, Spain Overview The first 100% Digital Award commends Granada University Hospitals for successfully adopting a digital pathology system, the Philips IntelliSite Pathology Solution.