Dr. Anne H. Bussian

Women of Homewood 2017

Dr. Anne H. Bussian

Skin Pathology Associates

Dr. Anne H. Bussian’s path to becoming a dermatopathologist wasn’t a linear one.

She started medical school wanting to be a dermatologist, but when she did her first elective in dermatology in her third year of medical school, she found it wasn’t for her. After trying out a residency in OB-GYN, she found that wasn’t for her, either. It was during her fourth year of medical school, while taking an elective in pathology, that she found something she really liked, and she was able to switch from her OB-GYN residency to a pathology residency. During rotations through various areas in pathology, she said she fell back in love with the skin — but this time, in a different way.

On a rotation at Skin Pathology Associates, she found an excellent fit, and now Bussian is one of the six dermatopathologists the company employs.

“I feel like every case is a little puzzle,” she said. “I love being able to put together what I am seeing and what the dermatologist tells me — to put it together and give an answer that makes sense and helps take care of the patient. I love it, I really do.”

Bussian, in her role as a dermatopathologist, examines skin under a microscope and is able to make diagnoses.

“If a person goes to the dermatologist with a rash that won’t go away or a mole that’s changing or a spot that’s worrisome that their dermatologist thinks might be skin cancer, the dermatologist does a biopsy and sends a piece of skin to me,” Bussian said. “It arrives at our laboratory as a piece of skin in a jar of formalin, we process it and embed it in a block of paraffin. Next, we cut it thinly and place it on a glass slide, stain it, look at the slide under the microscope and make a diagnosis.” 

Bussian and the other dermatopathologists at Skin Pathology Associates’ goal is to provide the most accurate diagnoses in the most timely manner, she said. Skin Pathology has grown from two dermatopathologists to six and has about 80 employees in total, but it retains its familial atmosphere, she said.

“Really and truly, there are a lot of employees in the lab who were here when the practice opened in 1995,” Bussian said. “We are almost like a family. We have grown, but it still feels like a small practice.”

Skin Pathology Associates was acquired in April by Advanced Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery (ADCS), a company that owns 140 dermatology practices. Skin Pathology is their first laboratory acquisition.

Despite the sale, Skin Pathology’s goals remain the same.

“Especially after the sale, our one goal is to maintain the same personal relationships and consistent quality, accuracy, and timeliness of diagnoses — that’s our main goal,” Bussian said. “We would like to grow, get biopsies from new dermatologists, new practices and new places to broaden our scope even more. But mostly, we want to continue providing the best care we can.”