Hone PA+NP Symposium Faculty Hone Home Faculty Clay Cockerell, MD, MBA, JD Symposium Managing Director Read More Aaron Farberg, MD Faculty Read More

Practical Symposium Winter | Faculty Faculty LEARN | SHRED | LEARN PS Winter Home Clay Cockerell, MD, MBA, JD Symposium Managing Director Read More Jennifer Cather, MD Faculty Read More Whitney High, MD, JD, MEng Faculty Read More William Posten, MD Faculty Read More James Allred, MD Faculty Read More Melissa Costner, MD Faculty Read More Matthew Leavitt, DO Faculty Read More Ciaran Smythe, DO Faculty Read More Antoanella Calame, MD Faculty Read More Aaron Farberg, MD Faculty Read More Joy Mosser Goldfarb, MD Faculty Read More Stan Tolkachjov, MD Faculty Read More

Dermpath On Dermand Faculty DOD Home Faculty Clay Cockerell, MD, MBA, JD Educational Managing Director Read More Kim Campbell Educational Consultant Read More Brand McCarley Educational Director Read More Chris Bandel Educational Manager Read More

Interesting articles for dermatologist, dermatopathologists and patients. Articles Aug 28, 2023 Training the Next Generation of Dermatologists Bridging the dermatologist shortage gap in the United States. Read More Jul 10, 2023 Health Education Services | Dermatology Residency Program TCOM-affiliated dermatology residency program begins in July 2023. Read More Feb 10, 2023 Performing Skin Biopsies: Maximizing Accuracy; Minimizing Risk The skin biopsy is one of the most commonly performed procedures in dermatology. Read More Jul 26, 2022 Continuous Specimen Flow Changes Night Shifts to Day Shifts While Reducing Turn-Around-Time Labatory improvement reduce turnaround time. Read More May 16, 2022 5 Ways to Improve the Patient Experience Through Marketing Create an amazing pateint experience. Read More Feb 18, 2022 Cockerell Dermatopathology: Committed to Excellence Skin cancer epidemic. Read More Feb 1, 2022 Top PR Strategies The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the business environment for good. Read More Nov 8, 2021 Beware: Not All Labs are Created Equal Millions of skin cancers are diagnosed annually. Read More

Business201 Home Faculty Additional Faculty Coming Soon Clay Cockerell, MD, MBA, JD Cockerell Dermatopathology President & Founder Read More Scott Hemingway Hemingway & Hansen, LLP Partner Read More Jennifer LeLash Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty Sales Associate Read More Chase Murphy, CPA Baker Tilly Tax Partner Read More Mary Nix Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann Partner Read More Donald Taylor Alliance for Physician Leadership Professor of Practice, Executive Education Director Read More Kim Campbell The Dermatology Authority Founder and Chief Advisor Read More Mallory Herrin, SPHR, SHRM-CP, CPLC Herrin HR CEO & Principal HR Consultant Read More Jeff Libby Libby Sparks Willis Starnes, PLLC Partner Read More Mark Noble The Noble Force Founder Read More Michael Smith Bank of America Regional Business Development Officer Read More Jim Winblood Scout Reference Founder & Chief Steward Read More Mireya Hawthorne MGRA, Inc. CEO & Principal Read More Chris LeLash Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty Sales Associate Read More Justin McCorkle Crucial Cyber Founder Read More Troy Morgan, CCIM Structure Commercial Partner Read More Mark Spalding FPA Private Wealth Management Executive Wealth Manager Read More Edward Zabawski, DO Epiphany Dermatology Dermatologist Read More

Practical Symposium Faculty 2026 Faculty PS Home Clay Cockerell, MD, MBA, JD Symposium Managing Director Read More Brian Berman, MD, PhD Faculty Read More Jennifer Cather, MD Faculty Read More James Del Rosso, DO Faculty Read More Shadi Kourosh, MD, MPH Faculty Read More Mark Nestor, MD, PhD Faculty Read More Theodore Rosen, MD Faculty Read More Matt Zirwas, MD Faculty Read More James Allred, MD Faculty Read More Neal Bhatia, MD Faculty Read More Roger Ceilley, MD Faculty Read More Aaron Farberg, MD Faculty Read More Matthew Leavitt, DO Faculty Read More Warren Piette, MD Faculty Read More Todd Schlesinger, MD Faculty Read More Dipti Anand, MD Faculty Read More Antoanella Calame, MD Faculty Read More Seemal Desai, MD Invited Faculty Read More Whitney High, MD, JD, MEng Faculty Read More Joy Mosser-Goldfarb, MD Faculty Read More Darrell Rigel, MD, MS Faculty Read More Kenneth Tomecki, MD Faculty Read More

Practical Symposium | Winter Learn, Shred, Learn! January 29 - February 1, 2026 The Hythe | Vail, CO Registration Fees LEARN | SHRED | LEARN PS Winter Home Early Bird Physician PA | NP Resident | Fellow | Student Office Staff Guest of Attendee $500 $500 $200 $300 $250 After 10/31 $700 $650 $250 $350 $300 Register Today! The Practical Symposium | Winter registration fee includes access to all conference components, including educational sessions, the exhibit hall, and meals/social events listed on the agenda. Registration fees do not include lift tickets or ski rentals. Cancellations received on or before November 30, 2026, are subject to a $100 administrative fee. Cancellations received after November 30, 2026, are non-refundable. Attendee Brochure

Jennifer Cather, MD < Back Jennifer Cather, MD Faculty Dr. Jennifer Cather leads Mindful Dermatology. She is a board-certified dermatologist, an active member of the American Academy of Dermatology and is an internationally recognized authority in complex medical dermatology, aesthetics, and skin cancer. Dr. Cather is passionate about diagnosing and managing patient conditions, from the most severe diseases, such as psoriasis or atopic dermatitis, to common skin conditions. Whether seeking the latest medical or rejuvenation advancements in dermatological care, Dr. Cather and her team at Mindful Dermatology are fully invested in our patients. They are constantly raising the standard for dermatology care by providing innovative, research-based therapies and actively seeking new treatments through clinical research. Dr. Cather, a Southern California native, and her husband, Chris, have two daughters, Wonder and Magic. Outside of work, Dr. Cather enjoys staying active and living a healthy lifestyle, whether it's snow skiing, snorkeling, hiking, or stargazing with her husband. PS Home

Todd Schlesinger, MD < Back Todd Schlesinger, MD Faculty Dr. Todd Schlesinger is a board-certified dermatologist and Mohs surgeon. Dr. Schlesinger is committed to providing the highest quality professional skin care in a warm, friendly, and compassionate environment. His formal educational training includes: University at Buffalo (Buffalo, NY) – BA, Economics University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (Buffalo, NY) – Doctor of Medicine Cleveland Clinic Foundation (Cleveland, OH) – Internal Medicine Internship Cleveland Clinic Foundation (Cleveland, OH) – Dermatology Residency His areas of interest include research and treatment of inflammatory dermatoses, cutaneous oncology, and cosmetic dermatology. He is the author of over 100 peer-reviewed publications, multiple book chapters, and numerous presentations and posters at national and international conferences. Dr. Schlesinger is a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), and a member of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS), the American Society for Mohs Surgery (ASMS), and the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS). He serves on the editorial advisory board for the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology (JCAD) and the digital editorial board for Cutis, a peer-reviewed clinical journal for dermatologists, allergists, and general practitioners. He is the past president of the South Carolina Medical Association (SCMA), the South Carolina Academy of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery (SCADDS), and the immediate past editor-in-chief of the AAD’s ongoing member Continuing Medical Education (CME) program “Dialogues in Dermatology.” He is currently serving as a member of the AAD Board of Directors, is one of three scientific directors at the Facial Aesthetic Conference and Exhibition (F.A.C.E.) in London, and serves on the LiVDerm Board of Advisors. In his free time, Dr. Schlesinger enjoys traveling, hiking, cycling, and time spent with family and friends. PS Home

Labatory improvement reduce turnaround time.Continuous Specimen Flow Changes Night Shifts to Day Shifts While Reducing Turn-Around-Time < Back Continuous Specimen Flow Changes Night Shifts to Day Shifts While Reducing Turn-Around-Time Clay Cockerell, MD, JD, MDA | Mary deBram-Hart, BS, HT | Erico Von Bueren, PhD, MD, MOR | Brenda Wander | Mark Fussner, BS, CT | Claudio Scancich | Craig Reed | Brand McCarley Jul 26, 2022 Labatory improvement reduce turnaround time. To reduce average TAT from 36-42 hours to 24-26 hours, the laboratory was restructured to include, relocation and a new floor plan for linear specimen workflow with a larger workspace. Conventional tissue processors were replaced with continuous flow, rapid tissue processors, cassette batch sizes reduced to an maximum of 32, and fully automated embedding was introduced. Personnel was rescheduled to decrease family unfriendly working hours (3pm-5am) and total hours, while increasing laboratory efficiency. MATERIALS & METHODS Customized WinSURGE® (Computer Trust Corp) Scanning Records using customized tools in Microsoft ® Excel ® 2013. Floorplans analyzing pathway crossings. Analysis of scheduled personnel shifts, family unfriendly (3pm-5am) schedules, and overtime. Analysis of cassette number reduction by increasing the number of spatially separated cross sectioned ellipse/s in Tissue-Tek® Paraform® Sectionable Cassette Systems (Sakura Finetek, Torrance, CA). Specimens were processed on Tissue-Tek VIP® 5, Tissue-Tek Xpress® x120, and embedded on Tissue-Tek AutoTEC® (Sakura Finetek, Torrance, CA). RESULTS The Paraform Sectionable Cassette System allows multiple cross sectioned ellipse/s in one cassette, locking their orientation from grossing to microtomy. Using Paraform Cassettes resulted in less cassettes grossed, processed, embedded, sectioned, and less slides stained and reviewed. Daily volumes decreased from 1,600 to 1,358 (-13%), reducing costs and increasing profitability. OLD vs. NEW LABORATORY SETUP The new laboratory set-up reduced overall daily working time for the entire Team from 215.5 hrs. to 136 hrs. (-79.5 hrs./-37%) while reducing the daily family unfriendly time (3pm to 5am) by 61% from 119.5 hrs. to 44 hrs./ 75%. The highest reduction of working and family unfriendly time was achieved in Embedding: -52 hrs./-100%, followed by Microtomy and Grossing. The Grossing and Microtomy Teams assist loading and unloading the Tissue-Tek Xpress x120 and Tissue-Tek AutoTEC, allowing task variety. The 4 stacked graphs on the left show the effect on working hours, the 4 stacked graphs on the right show the effect on family unfriendly hours. Noticeably, cumulative overtime was reduced from an average daily total of 16 hours to 0 hours. Overall, all Teams highly appreciated these changes and do not want to return to the previous set-up. CONCLUSIONS Specimens are oriented at grossing eliminating misorientation with manual embedding. Excisions can have multiple cross sectioned ellipse/s and are correctly oriented at grossing using Paraform Sectionable Cassette System reducing the total number of cassettes generated. Only 2% of the daily volume needs manual embedding due to specialty circumstances. Utilization of the Tissue-Tek Xpress x120 and Tissue-Tek AutoTEC allows 80% of specimens to be ready for microtomy within 7 hours after arrival into the laboratory. Continuous flow, rapid tissue processing means no more large batches, bottlenecks, or waiting time. The Tissue-Tek AutoTEC allowed 6 Histotechnicians to change their hours from night shift to day shift, allowing them to work more employee/family friendly shifts. Better hours and less blocks meant staff are able to perform additional duties allowing variety during the work day.  Designing a laboratory in a new building with a Lean workflow floor plan eliminated retraced steps and excessive walking time. Clients, Pathologists, and employees are happier. ABOUT CLAY J. COCKERELL, MD, JD, MBA Dr. Clay J. Cockerell is a world-renowned specialist in treating and diagnosing skin disorders and has diagnosed over three million biopsies. An internationally recognized pioneer in his field and double board-certified in dermatology and dermatopathology, Dr. Cockerell has been practicing medicine since 1986. He is currently the Founder & President of Cockerell Dermatopathology and the Program Director of the Health Education Services dermatology residency program sponsored by the Lake Granbury Medical Center. Also, Dr. Cockerell sees patients a few days per month to assist with resident training and to keep his clinicopathological skills sharp. Dr. Cockerell has held numerous leadership positions within several highly regarded medical associations. Most notably, he served as the President, Secretary & Treasurer and a member of the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Dermatology, President of the Texas Dermatological Society, and President of the Dallas Dermatological Society. Also, Dr. Cockerell holds leadership roles as Founder and President of Cockerell Dermatopathology and a former AmeriPath Board of Directors member. Dr. Cockerell and his wife, Brenda, had a lifelong dream of producing wine and, in 2005, purchased a vineyard in Calistoga, California. They now produce wine under the Coquerel Family Wine Estates label. Dr. Cockerel and Brenda have two children, Charles and Lillian, and they have been married for forty-six years. In addition, Dr. Cockerell and Brenda enjoy traveling, golf, and winter sports. ABOUT COCKERELL DERMATOPATHOLOGY The Cockerell Dermatopathology story begins with Dr. Clay J. Cockerell's vision to establish a practice whose mission is to treat each specimen as if it came from one of own family members. Family! At Cockerell Dermatopathology, every employee is driven by a relentless pursuit of diagnostic excellence. We specialize in evaluating dermatologic disorders, tackling cases ranging from the routine to the most challenging. Our practice continuously invests in cutting-edge technologies to best serve each referring clinician and their patients. These innovations result in higher-quality diagnostic slides, quicker turnaround times for routine cases, and seamless deployment of EMR interfaces. From an educational perspective, Cockerell Dermatopathology is more than a dermatopathology practice. We host numerous in-person and internet-based education events and boast a state-of-the-art 14-headed microscope for dermatology resident training sessions. Our services extend beyond borders, serving hundreds of clinicians in Texas, throughout the United States, and globally. With a highly accessible team of board-certified dermatopathologists and a dedicated support staff, our vision is simple yet profound. Family, we treat every specimen as if it were from one of our own family members. Previous Next

Theodore Rosen, MD < Back Theodore Rosen, MD Faculty Dr. Rosen, a native of Chicago. attended Michigan State University as a National Merit Scholar, and graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School cum laude. He trained in internal medicine at the University of Alabama and in dermatology at Baylor College of Medicine, where he currently serves as Professor and Vice-Chair of Dermatology. Dr. Rosen previously served on the Board of Directors and is a past Vice-President of the American Academy of Dermatology. He is also a past-President and Secretary-Treasurer of the Houston Dermatological Society and prior Chairman and Secretary-Treasurer of the Dermatology Section, Southern Medical Association. Dr. Rosen was the 2017 recipient of the AAD Thomas G. Pearson Memorial Award for lifelong achievement in education, and the 2021 recipient of the Robert J Freeman Memorial Mentoring and Leadership Award from the Texas Dermatology Society. Dr. Rosen has written over 300 peer-reviewed journal articles, 28 textbook chapters and 4 textbooks. Dr. Rosen is an avid numismatist, diehard Chicago Cub fan and devotee of horror films. PS Home

Melissa Costner, MD < Back Melissa Costner, MD Faculty A Texas native, Dr. Melissa Costner began her journey as a Dermatologist at UT Southwestern Medical Center, where she completed her training as a resident in dermatology, and where she developed an early and enduring interest in the skin manifestations of autoimmune disease. Under the tutelage of Dr. Richard Sontheimer, an icon of dermatology, she honed the special skills needed to take effective care of patients with conditions such as lupus dermatomyositis and scleroderma. After graduation from her residency, Dr. Costner joined the faculty at UT Southwestern in 1997 and quickly established a reputation as a specialist in the skin manifestations of rheumatic diseases. She went on to write book chapters, contributed to research, published new findings, and participated in the development of clinical guidelines for dermatologic manifestations of rheumatologist disease. She is one of the founding members of the Rheumatologic Dermatology Society. In 2007, Dr. Costner further expanded the scope of her influence on the Dallas community by entering private practice, developing collaborative care pathways with the DFW metroplex physicians for the care of patients with autoimmune diseases, including psoriasis and eczema. Dr. Costner also supports a number of general and specialty physicians with her expertise in skin manifestations of several other general and specialty diseases. PS Home