Interesting: Quest is buying AmeriPath

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

abercrombie

New Member
10+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2007
Messages
10
Reaction score
0
Interesting news:

Quest buying AmeriPath:http://www.topix.net/com/dgx/2007/04/quest-buying-ameripath
“This acquisition will establish our leading position in cancer diagnostics with a focus on dermatopathology, anatomic pathology and molecular diagnostics”
DGX - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr ) agreed to pay $1.23 billion for AmeriPath, a closely held diagnostics company owned by Welsh Carson Anderson & Stowe. (http://www.topix.net/com/dgx/2007/04/quest-buying-ameripath)

Any thoughts on this aquisition ? Will it affect dermpath fellowships ran by AmeriPath affiliates? Any affect on the practice of Anatomical Pathology in the future?

Members don't see this ad.
 
Are there really that many dermpath fellowships run by ameripath affiliates? The majority are affiliated with academic medical centers.

I think the last thing you should worry about is how it affects the dermpath fellowships run by ameripath affiliates. Since ameripath is already huge, I doubt it will change things a ton in any area, but I could be wrong.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Are there really that many dermpath fellowships run by ameripath affiliates? The majority are affiliated with academic medical centers.

I think the last thing you should worry about is how it affects the dermpath fellowships run by ameripath affiliates. Since ameripath is already huge, I doubt it will change things a ton in any area, but I could be wrong.

AmeriPath runs Ackerman Academy, Cockerell and associates, Institute for Dermatopathology and some other practices that have fellowships with a sponsorship or an affiliation with some academic medical centers listed on the site below, but the labs are operated and if I am not mistaken the staff members are employed by AmeriPath.
(http://www.dermpathdiagnostics.com/hc/ackerman.htm)
 
OK, well still that is at most, 10-15 fellowship positions each year? I am still not sure why your biggest concern about this is in regards to the number of dermpath fellowships.

I'm sure all it means overall is massive bonuses for top executives involved, overall slight reduction in cost (due to volume) in certain lab tests, and more influence in the field. I doubt it will change the day to day work or benefits of pathologists who work for them.
 
It always comes back to huge bonuses for the execs. :rolleyes:

As for changing the day-to-day, hard to see how that would happen. Just a consolidation (with a slight increase in emphasis in certain market segments).

Path is just another business to management....

P
 
Quest is buying not only Ameripath but Ameripath subs like Speciality lab (a CP reference lab).

This is very bad....I see dark tidings in the future of Pathology unless something is done soon.
 
Quest is buying not only Ameripath but Ameripath subs like Speciality lab (a CP reference lab).

This is very bad....I see dark tidings in the future of Pathology unless something is done soon.

It seems as if Ameripath is taking serious control and power in the path industry. I was wondering how this will affect the future of pathology in terms of jobs and salary...in the future, will the only jobs available to us graduating path residents be in these huge labs? Will it make all these small private practice pathology groups obsolete?

I guess it depends on the reach of Ameripath. I am not sure where their labs are located but I've seen they have branches in dermpath already in numerous states. I wouldn't be surprised if they branch out into more and more states. With the acquisition of Ameripath and its subs, they are becoming more powerful than they already are in the diagnostics industry. Those pathologists who are joining these labs are only fueling Quest. With Quest becoming more powerful, I am thinking, in the future, path salaries will take a hit. I dont know squat about the price Quest charges for examining biopsies but if they were to open a lab right next to a private practice group consisting of a few path docs...and are able to charge less (because they can), the private group would bite the dust.

Well, I don't know much about the business side/economics side of path yet. Can someone clear this up for me? LADoc u there? I have been thinking this...can someone set me straight if I'm wrong?

Also, why doesn't a "Ameripath/Quest-type" corporation exist in radiology? Or is there already one in existence?

Thanks.
 
It seems as if Ameripath is taking serious control and power in the path industry. I was wondering how this will affect the future of pathology in terms of jobs and salary...in the future, will the only jobs available to us graduating path residents be in these huge labs? Will it make all these small private practice pathology groups obsolete?

I guess it depends on the reach of Ameripath. I am not sure where their labs are located but I've seen they have branches in dermpath already in numerous states. I wouldn't be surprised if they branch out into more and more states. With the acquisition of Ameripath and its subs, they are becoming more powerful than they already are in the diagnostics industry. Those pathologists who are joining these labs are only fueling Quest. With Quest becoming more powerful, I am thinking, in the future, path salaries will take a hit. I dont know squat about the price Quest charges for examining biopsies but if they were to open a lab right next to a private practice group consisting of a few path docs...and are able to charge less (because they can), the private group would bite the dust.

Well, I don't know much about the business side/economics side of path yet. Can someone clear this up for me? LADoc u there? I have been thinking this...can someone set me straight if I'm wrong?

Also, why doesn't a "Ameripath/Quest-type" corporation exist in radiology? Or is there already one in existence?

Thanks.

OF COURSE this will impact the pathology job market. Similar to the way Starbucks impacts small coffee chains. There is great South Park episode where Tweek's dad who runs the South Park local coffee shop is getting competition from Harbucks, the big chain. In the end, Harbucks wins and offers the small coffee shop owner a job as manager.

Same thing here. By far the hardest hit will be the fattest cat in the house, Dermpath. Quest has the marketing team in place to buy big name dermpath academics and market to clinicians like nobody's business. bait and switch really, say they take someone famous like Rosai and pay him 1mil a year to be the "head of dermpath". Then once they have the specimens, they get signed out by IMG no-name..small 8 font on the back of the last page...of course on the front is:
QUEST DIAGNOSTICS, INC.
JUAN ROSAI, MD MEDICAL DIRECTOR (for example)
 
OF COURSE this will impact the pathology job market. Similar to the way Starbucks impacts small coffee chains. There is great South Park episode where Tweek's dad who runs the South Park local coffee shop is getting competition from Harbucks, the big chain. In the end, Harbucks wins and offers the small coffee shop owner a job as manager.

Same thing here. By far the hardest hit will be the fattest cat in the house, Dermpath. Quest has the marketing team in place to buy big name dermpath academics and market to clinicians like nobody's business. bait and switch really, say they take someone famous like Rosai and pay him 1mil a year to be the "head of dermpath". Then once they have the specimens, they get signed out by IMG no-name..small 8 font on the back of the last page...of course on the front is:
QUEST DIAGNOSTICS, INC.
JUAN ROSAI, MD MEDICAL DIRECTOR (for example)
I agree...it's interesting that in Quest's mission statement, they specifically stated that one of their focus will be on Dermpath (along with molecular and AP). But isn't Dermpath part of AP? The fact that they specifically mentioned dermpath is downright scary. A few of us in the residents' room felt that this would have a negative impact.
 
What will probably happen then is they will try to get even more dermpath fellowships approved within their own system. I wonder if they would also try to have the stipulation that anyone taking a fellowship with them would also stay for a job. Is that even possible? I can foresee this happening. The ACGME would not let it happen easily, because they have to license the fellowship, but there are probably ways around it and money and influence can drive lots of things.
 
Top