Dermatopathology Northwest

What Dermatopathology Northwest does

Dermatopathology Northwest (DPNW) is a physician-owned dermatopathology practice headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, founded in 2000 by Dan Lantz, MD and Michael Piepkorn, MD. The company operates a full-service dermatopathology laboratory providing H&E staining, special stains, and immunohistochemistry testing for skin biopsy specimens, with expert interpretation from five board-certified dermatopathologists (Lantz, Piepkorn, John Walsh, Kyle Garton, and Cait May), each holding dual certification in dermatology and dermatopathology. The practice emphasizes 24-hour turnaround on most cases, daily courier service across the greater Puget Sound region, and EMR/PDF interface integration for seamless practice workflow with referring clinicians. Key differentiators include over 100 years of combined diagnostic experience, direct clinician access for clinical-pathologic correlation, and academic affiliations with the University of Washington Department of Dermatology, including weekly resident conferences and a pigmented lesion/melanoma clinic.

The business model is B2B professional services: DPNW bills for dermatopathology diagnostic services through insurance reimbursements and direct client/patient billing, supported by an online bill pay portal (iHealthSpot/Medical Advantage) and electronic report delivery. The go-to-market motion is sales-led and relationship-driven, relying on professional medical networks, regional reputation, and academic referral pipelines rather than broad marketing. Customers are primarily dermatologists and dermatology practices across the Pacific Northwest, with secondary engagement to academic medical centers and dermatology residency programs. There is no evidence of external investment, parent company, or subsidiary structure; the firm operates as an independent physician partnership.

Name

Dermatopathology Northwest

Legal name

Dermatopathology Northwest

Website

https://dermpathnw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dermatopathology Northwest is a physician-owned dermatopathology laboratory in Bellevue, WA, providing H&E, special stain, and immunohistochemistry diagnostic services for skin biopsies. Five board-certified dermatopathologists serve dermatology practices and academic centers across the greater Puget Sound and broader Northwest region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dermatopathology Laboratory Services

NAICS

Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories (6215)

SIC

Services-Medical Laboratories (8071)

akta.pro primary industry

Dermatopathology (HLAKACAC)

Keywords

• Dermatopathology laboratory services
• Skin biopsy diagnosis
• Immunohistochemistry testing
• Pathology interpretation consultation
• Clinical pathology laboratory

Headquarters

HQ city

Bellevue

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Dermatopathology Laboratory Services: The company operates as a medical laboratory providing dermatopathology diagnostic services to dermatologists and medical practices. Revenue is generated through pathology service billing, likely through insurance reimbursements and direct client billing for laboratory services including slide preparation, special stains, immunohistochemistry, and expert interpretations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Dermatopathology Northwest operates a full-service dermatopathology laboratory performing H&E staining, special stains, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) on skin, hair, and nail biopsy specimens submitted by dermatologists and medical practices. Five board-certified dermatopathologists deliver original interpretations, consultations, and clinical-pathologic correlation on difficult specimens, with 24-hour turnaround on most cases. Supporting services include slide preparation, daily courier pickup across the greater Puget Sound region, and EMR/PDF electronic report delivery.

Product overview

Dermatopathology Northwest operates as a physician-owned dermatopathology practice offering a unified suite of diagnostic services. The core offering is a full-service dermatopathology laboratory providing H&E staining, special stains, and immunohistochemistry, combined with expert pathology interpretation and consultation services. Supporting services include slide preparation, courier pickup, EMR/PDF interfaces, and online patient portals for reports and bill payment. The practice serves the greater Puget Sound region with daily courier service and 24-hour turnaround on most cases.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dermatopathology Laboratory Services Full service dermatopathology laboratory providing H&E staining, special stains, and immunohistochemistry testing for skin biopsy specimens submitted by dermatologists and medical practices.
• Slide Preparation Service High quality, cost-effective slide preparation service with 24-hour turnaround time on most cases for skin biopsy specimens submitted by dermatology practices.
• Pathology Interpretation and Consultation Original pathology interpretations and clinical-pathologic correlation consultations on submitted specimens, including assistance with clinical management on challenging cases such as melanoma and complex dermatologic lesions.
• Courier Service Daily courier service to the greater Puget Sound area for specimen pickup from client practices and physical report delivery.

Quantifiable outcome

• 24-hour turnaround time on most cases

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Medical AdvantageminorOthersThird-party billing and payment processing service provider for medical claims. Medical Advantage provides the payment processing infrastructure for the company's online bill pay system.
• University of Washington Department of DermatologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic affiliation for resident education and training. Multiple Dermatopathology Northwest physicians hold clinical appointments as professors or adjunct faculty, conducting weekly dermatopathology conferences for dermatology residents. Dr. Piepkorn staffs a pigmented lesion and melanoma clinic at UW's Roosevelt outpatient facility.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• PathGroup: Large physician-led pathology platform (formerly GI/multi-specialty, expanding into dermatopathology) serving hospital systems and dermatology practices across multiple states. Comparable B2B medical-laboratory model with dermatopathology as a specialty service line.
• Quest Diagnostics: National clinical-laboratory giant with dermatopathology capability through Dermpath Diagnostics and broader anatomic-pathology services. Sets the competing standard for turnaround time, EMR integration, and payer contracts that small specialty labs like DPNW must differentiate against.
• Labcorp (Laboratory Corporation of America): National clinical and anatomic pathology network including dermatopathology services. Competes for the same referring dermatologists through scale, payer contracts, and standardized EMR interfaces in the Pacific Northwest.
• Bostwick Laboratories / Aurora Diagnostics (portfolio): Multi-specialty anatomic pathology platforms that have historically included dermatopathology labs. Comparable in operating model (commercial lab serving dermatology practices) though broader in scope than DPNW's single-specialty focus.

Regional players

• McKee Dermatopathology: Specialty dermatopathology lab in the Northeast US with a similar physician-led, dermatologist-trained positioning. Useful comparable on operational metrics (turnaround time, courier logistics, IHC menu) for benchmarking.

Direct peers

• Cockerell Dermatopathology: Physician-owned Texas-based dermatopathology reference lab with academic affiliations and a dermatologist-trained pathologist team. Most directly comparable peer in structure (physician-owned, dermatology-trained) and clinical positioning.
• Dermpath Diagnostics (Ameripath / Quest Diagnostics Specialty): One of the largest US dermatopathology reference labs, founded by a dermatopathologist and now part of Quest's specialty business. Direct competitor to DPNW for high-volume skin biopsy interpretation with national reach that anchors pricing and turnaround comparisons in regional markets.
• Pinkus Dermatopathology: Long-established physician-led dermatopathology reference lab serving a multi-state catchment. Comparable in specialty focus, courier/logistics model, and reliance on board-certified dermatopathologists for case interpretation.

Emerging players

• Ackerman Academy of Dermatopathology: Academic dermatopathology center combining specialist interpretation with training and research. Comparable to DPNW's UW-teaching and pigmented-lesion expertise, serving as an academic referral destination for complex cases.

Others

• University of Washington Dermatopathology Service (academic lab): Academic dermatopathology service at DPNW's affiliated institution. Overlaps in subspecialty expertise and resident training but is not a direct commercial competitor; instead it is a referral partner and pipeline source.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/135200369856344

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dermatopathology Northwest