DIVERSIFIED PHYSICIANS, timely results

Business People, Sep 2008 by Hans, Jennifer

Physicians within a particular medical specialty often spend a lot of time in a fairly concentrated work environment. At Pathology and Forensic Consultants in Fort Wayne, the opposite is true.

Scott Wagner, a board certified forensic pathologist with the practice and a deputy coroner in Allen County, says he and his colleagues work with an extremely diverse group of medical professionals, government officials and members of the business community.

"We're very diversified," Wagner says. "There probably isn't another medical practice that works with so many different aspects of the community."

Superior Local Service

Pathology and Forensic Consultants has two primary areas of concentration. The first is its medical division, which provides pathology services to a growing number of hospitals and physician practices throughout Fort Wayne and beyond. When a physician performs surgery, for example, he or she often needs to send a tissue sample to a lab for analysis. That's where Wagner and his team step in. They examine the tissue under a microscope to determine whether it is malignant (cancer) or benign (not cancer).

Physician practices have access to pathology labs all over the country, but the team at Pathology and Forensic Consultants offers a number of immediate benefits. First, the group practices in Fort Wayne and surrounding counties, which eliminates the costly and time-consuming practice of sending tissue samples to distant locations. Second, outside labs may not be licensed in the state of Indiana, which can delay the amount of time it takes to obtain laboratory results. Finally, the physicians at Pathology and Forensic Consultants have established a strong local presence. They are deeply involved in many areas of the community.

"We know the doctors, we know their practice, and we know what their particular needs are," Wagner says.

Looking for Answers

The physicians at Pathology and Forensic Consultants also manage a large number of forensic cases. They work with coroners in approximately 20 area counties, conducting autopsies that provide critical answers when a death investigation is underway.

"It's our job to help determine the cause and manner of death," Wagner explains.

In the scope of their routine work, physicians within the practice work alongside police officers, crime scene investigators and lawyers. They also come into frequent contact with a number of specialized agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the FBI, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Indiana State Police, the Indiana State Department of Health, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and the military.

Additionally, physicians work with families that have requested private autopsy services. Bob Carpenter, a board certified pathologist and cytopathologist, says a lot of people don't realize that they can request a private autopsy, a procedure that can help identify genetic conditions that may affect other members of a family. Occasionally, pathologists are able to diagnose conditions that may have been present - sometimes without symptoms - during the life of the person who has died.

"Family members then have an opportunity to diagnose potentially serious conditions that may otherwise have gone undetected," Carpenter says.

Pathology and Forensic Consultants

Address: 10351 Dawson's Creek Boulevard, Suite D Fort Wayne, Indiana 46845

Phone: Business Office: (260) 969-1950, ext. 101 Lab: (260) 425-3762

President: Dr. Bob Carpenter

Employees: 12

Web site: www.pathfor.com

Services: Clinical and Forensic Pathology