Dr. Karl Robstad to Lead Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the Albany Med Health System
Karl A. Robstad, MD, has been appointed Chair of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine for the Albany Med Health System. He has served as interim chair for the past three years, guiding the department through a period of growth, strategic planning, and operational transformation.
Prior to his position as interim chair, he was Vice Chair of Community Pathology, helping lead the pathology departments at Glens Falls Hospital, Columbia Memorial Health, and Saratoga Hospital.
“Dr. Robstad’s leadership has advanced our vision for a modern, integrated laboratory enterprise across the Albany Med Health System as we work to become the First Choice for our patients, community, students, residents, faculty and staff,” said Alan S. Boulos, Albany Med Health System Executive Vice President and the Lynne and Mark D. Groban, MD ’67 Distinguished Dean of Albany Medical College.
Dr. Robstad’s accomplishments include advancing digital pathology initiatives, leading laboratory modernization efforts, expanding regional pathology services, mentoring faculty and laboratory leaders, and developing innovative educational programs for medical students, residents, and allied health professionals. He has also remained deeply committed to teaching, serving as an associate professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at Albany Medical College and, more recently, as an adjunct professor of biology at Siena University.
Throughout his career, Dr. Robstad has held numerous laboratory medical directorships and leadership positions, including vice chair of community pathology and interim JS Ross Chair of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. He is board certified in anatomic and clinical pathology and has more than fifteen years of experience serving patients and health systems throughout New York State. He completed his residency training in pathology and laboratory medicine at Albany Medical Center and is a graduate of Siena College and Albany Medical College.
Dr. Robstad will lead a department that’s fully integrated across the System’s four campuses, a streamlined approach that System leaders said will increase testing efficiency and timeliness across the Albany Med Health System service area and ultimately improve patient outcomes.