What Cockerell Dermatopathology does

Cockerell Dermatopathology is a privately held, full-service dermatopathology professional association headquartered in Dallas, Texas, founded in 1972 (originally as Freeman-Cockerell Dermatopathology Laboratories) and operating under founder Dr. Clay J. Cockerell, a former President of the American Academy of Dermatology who has personally diagnosed more than three million biopsies. The practice operates a CLIA-certified laboratory providing definitive diagnoses for skin, hair, and nail disorders through a comprehensive in-house test menu including special stains, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, HPV typing, and fungal testing, with a 48-hour routine turnaround. It serves more than 800 referring clinicians nationally and internationally across dermatologists, podiatrists, Mohs surgeons, hospital systems, and pharmaceutical/biotech trial sponsors.

The business model combines per-specimen fee-for-service diagnostic billing with adjacent professional services revenue: consultative second-opinion pathology, customizable clinical trial pathology with 48-72 hour turnaround, expert witness and legal services, and a portfolio of CME-accredited educational programs including the Practical Symposium in Vail and Dermpath On Demand (an online education platform co-founded by Dr. Cockerell). Go-to-market is anchored on direct relationships managed by onsite marketing representatives and supported by deep EMR integration with 20+ platforms (Epic, Athena Health, Allscripts, Cerner, NextGen, PracticeFusion, and others), a regional courier and air-courier specimen logistics network, and a continuous dermatology residency program sponsored by Lake Granbury Medical Center. The practice operates without disclosed external institutional or PE investment and is structured as a Texas professional association, with no public financial disclosure.

Name

Cockerell Dermatopathology

Legal name

Cockerell Dermatopathology, PA

Website

https://dermpath.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Cockerell Dermatopathology is a Dallas-based, founder-led dermatopathology practice providing CLIA-certified skin, hair, and nail diagnostic services to 800+ referring clinicians across the US and internationally, supplemented by consultations, clinical trial pathology, expert witness services, and CME-accredited education programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dermatopathology Diagnostic Laboratory Services

NAICS

Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories (6215), Medical Laboratories (621511), Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories (62151)

SIC

Services-Medical Laboratories (8071), Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Dermatopathology (HLAKACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

General & Medical Dermatology (HLAKACAA), Hair & Scalp Disorders (Trichology) (HLAKACAI), Nail Disorders (Onychology) (HLAKACAJ), Pigmentary Disorders (Vitiligo/Melasma) (HLAKACAM), Procedural Dermatology (Office-Based Surgery) (HLAKACAG)

Keywords

• Dermatopathology diagnostic services
• Skin biopsy interpretation
• Clinical trial pathology
• Dermatology consultation services
• Continuing medical education

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

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, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Dermatopathology diagnostic services: Cockerell Dermatopathology generates revenue primarily through providing diagnostic pathology services for skin, hair, and nail disorders. Specimens are submitted by referring clinicians (dermatologists, podiatrists, Mohs surgeons), processed in their CLIA-certified laboratory, and billed per test. The practice accepts a high percentage of in-network health plans and handles billing through a dedicated in-house billing team. Revenue is driven by volume of biopsies submitted and the complexity of testing required.
2. Consultative and expert opinion services: Dr. Cockerell provides expert diagnostic and therapeutic opinions for dermatologists who read their own slides, dermatopathologists, pathologists, and hospital systems. Consultation fees are billed separately from routine diagnostic services, typically with 24-48 hour turnaround for reports.
3. Clinical trial pathology services: The practice offers fully customizable clinical trial services focused on the pathology component of dermatologic-related trials, providing diagnostic renderings for project-related work, typically with 48-72 hour turnaround. This is a specialized fee-for-service revenue stream.
4. Legal / expert witness services: Dr. Cockerell serves as an expert witness for dermatology and dermatopathology legal cases, providing depositions and courtroom testimony, generating professional services revenue.
5. Continuing medical education programs: The practice hosts numerous CME-accredited educational events including the Practical Symposium in Vail, Learn Shred Learn CME ski events, the Cockerell 100 Board Review, and Business symposia, generating registration and sponsorship revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cockerell Dermatopathology is a Dallas-based, CLIA-certified dermatopathology diagnostic laboratory that interprets skin, hair, and nail biopsies submitted by referring dermatologists, podiatrists, Mohs surgeons, and hospital systems, with 48-hour routine turnaround and direct EMR order/result integration with 20+ platforms. The practice supplements routine diagnostics with consultative second-opinion reports, podiatric pathology, customizable clinical trial pathology services, and expert legal witness work, while also operating the Dermpath On Demand educational platform and the annual Practical Symposium CME program.

Product overview

Cockerell Dermatopathology is a family-oriented dermatopathology practice offering a comprehensive suite of diagnostic pathology services. The core offering is dermatopathology diagnostic services for skin, hair, and nail disorders, delivered through an integrated platform that includes EMR interfaces with 24+ major systems. Supporting services include specialized consultation services (Cockerell Dermatology Consultation Services), podiatric pathology, clinical trial services for dermatologic trials, and expert legal witness services. The company also provides continuing education through Dermpath On Demand (online learning platform), the annual Practical Symposium in Vail, CO, and a Virtual Microscope for patient education. Advanced testing capabilities include molecular diagnostics, direct immunofluorescence, and quality control services for Mohs surgeons.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dermatopathology Diagnostic Services Routine diagnostic interpretation of skin, hair, and nail biopsy specimens submitted by referring dermatologists, podiatrists, Mohs surgeons, and other clinicians, with 48-hour report turnaround via EMR interface, internet portal, fax, or courier, supported by an in-house test menu including special stains, immunohistochemistry, direct immunofluorescence, HPV typing, and fungal testing.
• Consultative Services Expert diagnostic and therapeutic second-opinion services focused on difficult cases, melanocytic neoplasia, and the full spectrum of inflammatory and neoplastic skin, hair, nail, and mucous membrane disease, with consultation reports typically delivered within 24-48 hours via digital slide upload or glass slide shipping.
• Podiatric Services Specialized diagnostic interpretation of podiatric specimens for nail, bone, skin, and soft tissue disorders, including rapid PAS stain-based onychomycosis diagnosis, DTM agar fungal growth analysis, and peer-to-peer consultative support for tumors and inflammatory conditions.
• Clinical Trial Services Customizable dermatopathology services for dermatologic-related clinical trials, including 48-72 hour diagnostic renderings, digital slide scanning, flexible pathology data and format adjustments, worldwide logistics, and CLIA-certified data delivery backed by quality assurance SOPs.
• Legal Services Expert dermatopathology witness services for medical-legal cases, including case consultation, depositions, and live courtroom testimony, led by Dr. Clay J. Cockerell.
• Dermpath On Demand Online educational platform offering continuing medical education, archived dermatopathology lectures, board review content (including the Cockerell 100 Dermatopathology Board Review), and special lectures for dermatology clinicians, residents, PAs, and NPs.
• Practical Symposium Annual CME-accredited dermatopathology and dermatology educational event held in Vail, Colorado, offering comprehensive sessions on dermatology, clinicopathologic correlation, and business topics, with limited capacity for an exclusive high-touch educational experience.

Quantifiable outcome

• 800+ referring clinicians served across Texas, the United States, and internationally
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration24 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• EMA – Modernizing MedicinecoreTechnology or IntegrationCockerell Dermatopathology maintains a working EMR integration relationship with EMA (Modernizing Medicine) to enable seamless order submission and results delivery between the practice's laboratory and referring clinicians using the EMA platform. An in-house IT team is dedicated to implementing and supporting this and other EMR interfaces.
• EpiccoreTechnology or IntegrationCockerell Dermatopathology maintains a working EMR integration with Epic, one of the largest EHR platforms, enabling bidirectional order and results data flow between the practice and Epic-using healthcare organizations.
• Athena HealthcoreTechnology or IntegrationCockerell Dermatopathology has a working integration with Athena Health's EHR platform, allowing referring practices to submit orders and receive results directly within their existing clinical workflow.
• AllscriptscoreTechnology or IntegrationAllscripts is listed among Cockerell Dermatopathology's EMR interface partners, enabling integrated order and results workflow for Allscripts-using referring clinicians.
• CernercoreTechnology or IntegrationCerner is listed as an EMR interface partner, enabling integrated order submission and results delivery for Cerner-using healthcare organizations.
• NextGencoreTechnology or IntegrationNextGen is listed as one of the EMR platforms with which Cockerell Dermatopathology maintains a working interface relationship.
• PracticeFusioncoreTechnology or IntegrationPracticeFusion is listed among the EMR interface partners supporting seamless connectivity for referring practices using this cloud-based EHR platform.
• Lake Granbury Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth Education Services, sponsored by Lake Granbury Medical Center, operates a dermatology residency program with Dr. Clay Cockerell serving as Program Director. This academic partnership supports resident training and maintains the practice's connection to medical education. The arrangement is mutually beneficial, with residents gaining dermatopathology exposure and the practice maintaining academic engagement.
• Dermpath On Demand (Dermatology Academy)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Clay Cockerell co-founded Dermpath On Demand (operated at dermatology.academy), an online educational platform offering CME-accredited dermatopathology content, archived lectures, board review, and special seminars. This platform extends the practice's educational reach globally and serves as a GTM channel for brand awareness.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Inform Diagnostics: Inform Diagnostics is a national dermatopathology and GI pathology laboratory serving dermatologists, Mohs surgeons, and hospitals with comprehensive diagnostic services. It competes head-to-head with Cockerell on referring-clinician volume, EMR integration, and complex case consultation.
• AmeriPath: AmeriPath is one of the largest dermatopathology-focused diagnostic lab networks in the U.S. It is a direct competitor to Cockerell Dermatopathology; notably, Dr. Clay Cockerell previously served on AmeriPath's Board of Directors, underscoring the close competitive overlap.
• PathGroup: PathGroup is one of the largest physician-owned pathology groups in the U.S. with a substantial dermatopathology offering. It competes with Cockerell on hospital and dermatologist referrals across multiple regions, with similar CLIA-certified lab operations.
• Aurora Diagnostics: Aurora Diagnostics operated a national network of anatomic pathology labs with significant dermatopathology focus before being acquired; it remains a structurally similar specialty pathology competitor. Comparable in offering dermatologist-facing diagnostic services with multi-site operations.

Broad incumbents

• Quest Diagnostics: Quest Diagnostics is the largest U.S. clinical laboratory network with a broad dermatopathology offering. While not specialized, it competes for dermatology referrals through scale, payer contracts, and integrated logistics — a key incumbent competitor to Cockerell.
• ARUP Laboratories: ARUP is a national reference laboratory affiliated with the University of Utah, offering esoteric dermatopathology services. It overlaps with Cockerell on consultation and esoteric testing, serving as a high-end academic reference competitor.
• Mayo Clinic Laboratories: Mayo Clinic Laboratories is a major academic reference lab offering advanced dermatopathology and consultative services. It competes with Cockerell for second-opinion consult cases and esoteric testing volume, leveraging the Mayo brand.
• Laboratory Corporation of America (LabCorp): LabCorp operates one of the largest U.S. clinical and anatomic pathology networks, including dermatopathology services. It competes on national logistics, payer contracting, and IT infrastructure — a major broad incumbent against specialty-focused labs like Cockerell.

Emerging players

• SkinPath Solutions: SkinPath Solutions is a dermatopathology practice led by Dr. Dipti Anand, who is also on Cockerell's dermatopathology team. It is a smaller specialty competitor with overlapping physician talent and educational offerings in dermatopathology diagnostics.
• Ackerman Academy of Dermatopathology: Ackerman Academy is a specialized dermatopathology training and diagnostic institution. It overlaps with Cockerell on difficult case consultation, education, and academic dermatopathology, though smaller in commercial diagnostic volume.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/CockerellDermatopathology
• Facebookfacebook.com/CockerellDP
• Instagraminstagram.com/cockerelldermatopathology
• LinkedIninstagram.com/cockerelldermatopathology
• Xx.com/cockerelldp

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Cockerell Dermatopathology