Our Second Opinion Policy

We have a standard procedure for second opinions on pathology cases, including surgical pathology and cytopathology. All of our pathologists at Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa are certified by the American Board of Pathology, and have completed an additional year of fellowship training in surgical pathology. We automatically obtain a second opinion within our department on all cases of visceral (internal) malignancy (cancer), as well as melanoma of the skin. We do not routinely obtain second opinion on the common squamous cell and basal cell cancers of the skin, nor on nonmalignant (non cancerous) cases. These second opinions are routinely provided as a member benefit. If you would like a third opinion, submit your request to your personal physician or to the consultant physician you are seeing, and we will obtain a consultation from another member of our department.

If you desire pathology consultation from outside the Santa Rosa facility, you may do so. To protect your confidentiality, you must sign a release in order for us to send out your pathology records and materials.

Once signed, the release can be faxed to our department at 707-393-4291 or dropped off at our department. Upon receiving your signed release, we will package your pathology report and slides, and you may pick them up, or we will forward them to the pathologist of your choice. However, these outside consultations are not a member benefit, and you will be personally responsible for any and all charges that you incur.