Pathology Associates of St. Thomas (PAST)

What Pathology Associates of St. Thomas (PAST) does

Pathology Associates of St. Thomas (PAST) is an independent, physician-owned dermatopathology laboratory headquartered at 4230 Harding Pike, Suite 1001, Nashville, Tennessee. The practice is dedicated exclusively to dermatopathology, processing skin, nail, and hair biopsy specimens for referring clinicians and dermatology practices across a regional catchment. PAST operates a full-service, CAP-accredited and CLIA-certified laboratory offering microscopic diagnostic reporting, direct immunofluorescence, extensive immunohistochemistry panels, special stains, molecular testing, and Mohs surgery support. Specimen logistics are managed through courier pickup and overnight shipping (FedEx, UPS) with GPS-enabled chain-of-custody tracking, and the practice integrates with any Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system for direct report delivery. A HIPAA-compliant online portal enables clinicians to access reports electronically, with routine cases reported within 24 hours of specimen receipt.

The clinical team consists of six board-certified dermatopathologists with combined experience exceeding 50 years. Medical Director Colt M. McClain, MD (Baylor College of Medicine dermatopathology fellowship, Vanderbilt pathology residency) leads the group, supported by Jason B. Robbins, MD (Stanford); Sara M. Kantrow, MD (MD Anderson); Jonathan D. Cuda, MD (Stanford, Johns Hopkins pathology residency); Blazej Zbytek, MD, PhD (University of Tennessee Health Science Center); and Kandice Bailey, MD (Washington University in St. Louis). Three physicians hold dual dermatology/dermatopathology certification and three hold anatomic & clinical pathology/dermatopathology certification, with fellowships spanning Stanford, MD Anderson, Baylor College of Medicine, and Washington University School of Medicine.

PAST generates revenue primarily through insurance billing for pathology services — billed separately from referring clinician office services, in-network with all national payers, with self-pay discounts available for hardship cases. The practice operates without external investors, parent company, or institutional ownership. Growth is driven by clinician referrals, professional conference participation (AAD, ASDP, ISDP), and long-tenured referring relationships (e.g., a 19-year client). The 26-employee practice runs Monday–Friday 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM from its single Nashville location.

Name

Pathology Associates of St. Thomas (PAST)

Legal name

Pathology Associates of St. Thomas

Website

https://pastdermpath.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pathology Associates of St. Thomas (PAST) is an independent Nashville-based dermatopathology laboratory serving referring dermatologists with skin biopsy interpretation, immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry panels, special stains, molecular tests, and 24-hour turnaround, delivered by six board-certified dermatopathologists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dermatopathology Diagnostic Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Medical Laboratories (8071)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAKACAC

Dermatopathology

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Specialist Medical Practice/Dermatology

SECONDARYHLAHAAAE

Anatomic Pathology & Histology/Cytology IVD (Tissue Diagnostics)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Medical Devices & Diagnostics/In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) & Laboratory Diagnostics

SECONDARYHLAFAMAA

Anatomic Pathology (Histopathology & Cytopathology)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Healthcare Providers & Systems/Clinical Laboratories

SECONDARYHLAKACAD

Mohs Surgery & Skin Cancer (Dermatologic Oncology)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Specialist Medical Practice/Dermatology

Keywords

• Dermatopathology laboratory
• Diagnostic pathology services
• Skin biopsy analysis
• Immunohistochemistry testing
• Mohs surgery support

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Insurance Billing for Pathology Services: PAST bills primary and secondary insurance for pathology services. The practice is considered in-network with all national payers. Services are billed separately from the clinician's office services.
2. Self-Pay Patients: Self-pay discount offered for patients facing financial hardships. Payment plans and case-by-case accommodations available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Pathology Associates of St. Thomas operates a dedicated dermatopathology reference laboratory that interprets skin, nail, and hair biopsies for referring clinicians and dermatology practices. Diagnostic services include routine microscopic examination with full descriptive reporting, direct immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry panels, special stains, and molecular testing, typically delivered within 24 hours. The laboratory also provides Mohs surgery support, clinicopathological correlation consultations, EMR-integrated report delivery, and GPS-tracked specimen pickup and shipping logistics.

Product overview

Pathology Associates of St. Thomas operates as a dedicated dermatopathology laboratory offering a unified suite of diagnostic services centered on skin, nail, and hair biopsy analysis. The core service portfolio consists of microscopic diagnostic reporting with immunofluorescence, extensive immunohistochemistry panels, special stains, and molecular testing capabilities. Supporting modules include Mohs surgery support, specimen logistics with courier tracking, HIPAA-compliant online portal access, and EMR integration for electronic report delivery. All services are delivered by a team of six board-certified dermatopathologists with typical 24-hour turnaround for routine cases.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dermatopathology Diagnostic Services Comprehensive microscopic examination and diagnostic interpretation of skin, nail, and hair biopsies for referring clinicians and dermatology practices, with complete microscopic descriptions and actionable clinical insights delivered in routine reports.
• Immunofluorescence Testing Specialized direct immunofluorescence testing service for diagnosing autoimmune bullous diseases and complex dermatological conditions, performed in-house at the PAST laboratory.
• Immunohistochemistry Panels Extensive in-house immunohistochemistry panels supporting detailed diagnostic analysis of dermatopathology specimens and complex skin biopsies.
• Molecular Testing Molecular diagnostic tests performed for complex dermatopathology cases requiring genetic or molecular analysis to support definitive diagnosis.
• Special Stains Special histological staining techniques used to aid in the diagnosis of various dermatological conditions when routine H&E is not sufficient.
• Mohs Surgery Support Services Slow Mohs tissue processing and pathologist consultation services for dermatologic surgeons requiring intraoperative margin evaluation and support for skin cancer excision cases.
• Specimen Pickup and Logistics Specimen pickup arrangement from any referring clinician location using dedicated couriers and overnight shipping via FedEx and UPS, with GPS tracking for chain of custody and complimentary shipping supplies.
• EMR Integration Services Electronic medical record integration allowing dermatopathology reports to be delivered directly into referring clinician practice management systems, compatible with any EMR system.
• HIPAA-Compliant Online Portal Secure, HIPAA-compliant web portal enabling clinicians to access dermatopathology reports electronically as an alternative to EMR delivery.
• Clinicopathological Correlation Consultations Consultative dermatopathology services linking clinical findings with pathological diagnosis, available via phone, in-person, or virtual consultation on difficult or complex cases.

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Quest Diagnostics: National clinical and anatomic pathology network that handles dermatopathology specimens at scale; competes on breadth, logistics, and payer contracts rather than specialty depth.
• AmeriPath: Subspecialty anatomic pathology network serving referring physicians including dermatologists; comparable in clinician-serving B2B motion but with a broader specialty portfolio than PAST.
• Inform Diagnostics (formerly Miraca Life Sciences): Large commercial anatomic pathology platform with a strong dermatopathology franchise; competes for the same referring dermatologist relationships but at much greater geographic and technological scale.
• Sonic Healthcare USA: International diagnostic provider with U.S. anatomic pathology operations including dermatopathology services; comparable service category, but with a much broader portfolio.
• Laboratory Corporation of America (Labcorp): Diversified diagnostic laboratory offering anatomic pathology including dermatopathology; broad incumbent that competes on national reach and integrated testing menus versus specialty labs.

Direct peers

• Bako Diagnostics: Specialized dermatopathology lab focused on podiatric and dermatologic specimens; comparable specialty-only model and clinician referral go-to-market, with overlapping Mohs surgery support.
• Cockerell Dermatopathology: Independent, dermatology-only dermatopathology laboratory led by founder-dermatopathologists. Closely comparable specialty focus, referral-driven B2B model, and consultative practice structure to PAST.
• Dermatopathology Laboratory of Central States: Dedicated dermatopathology laboratory serving dermatologists with biopsy interpretation, immunostains, and consultation — directly comparable in service mix and target customer.

Emerging players

• Pathology Watch: Digital dermatopathology platform combining AI-assisted workflows with subspecialty dermatopathologists; directly comparable end-customer and case mix, but with a technology-forward model that contrasts PAST's traditional lab setup.

Regional players

• Pinnacle Dermatology (parent/affiliate): Regional dermatology practice network in the same Nashville/Tennessee market that references PAST's Notice of Privacy Practices; functions as a dermatology customer base comparable to PAST's clinician referral market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pathology-associates-of-st-thomas

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Pathology Associates of St. Thomas (PAST)