January 3, 2002
AmeriPath Announces Agreement With Robert E. Petras, M.D.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Gregory A. Marsh, Vice President and CFO AmeriPath, Inc.
561-712-6211 E-mail: gmarsh@ameripath.com

Michelle D. Getty, Investor Relations AmeriPath, Inc.
561-712-6260 E-mail: invrel@ameripath.com

AMERIPATH ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT WITH ROBERT E. PETRAS, M.D.

RIVIERA BEACH, FL, January 3, 2002 - AmeriPath, Inc. (NASDAQ: PATH), a leading national provider of cancer diagnostics, genomics and related information services, today announced that Dr. Robert E. Petras, one of the foremost gastrointestinal (GI) pathologists in the United States, has joined the AmeriPath team effective January 1, 2002.

Dr. Petras, a graduate of Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) and The Ohio State University College of Medicine, completed his residency in pathology at the Cleveland Clinic. He received subspecialty training in gastrointestinal pathology at St. Marks Hospital, London, England under the tutelage of Professor Basil Morson.

During the last 20 years of his distinguished career, Dr. Petras served the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in a series of leadership positions, including Chairman, Department of Anatomic Pathology; Vice Chairman, Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine; Residency Program Director, Anatomic and Clinical Pathology; and Program Coordinator, Medical Student Clerkships in Pathology. He also held several teaching appointments at CWRU School of Medicine.

As a fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology, the College of American Pathologists, the American Society of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP) and the United States and Canadian Academy, Dr. Petras has held a number of important offices and committee appointments, including President, Gastrointestinal Pathology Society; Chairman, National Meeting Workshops Subcommittee for the Anatomic Pathology Council, ASCP; and chairman of several Digestive Disease Week abstract review committees for the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA). He is a currently a member of the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery test committee.

Dr. Petras has co-authored over 200 scientific publications on a variety of subjects relevant to gastrointestinal disease, including management of early colorectal cancer, accurate diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease, and the diagnosis and management of dysplasia and early cancer in inflammatory bowel disease and Barrett’s esophagus. He has also held editorial board positions for such prestigious publications as the American Journal of Surgical Pathology, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Modern Pathology, and the American Journal of Clinical Pathology.

Dr. Petras is an accomplished and gifted teacher and educator. He has served as a faculty member for the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) and the AGA during Digestive Disease Week, at the annual meetings of the United States College of Anatomic Pathologists (USCAP) and at the ASCP national meetings. He has also lectured extensively on gastrointestinal disease at various universities as well as state and regional gastroenterology, colorectal surgery and pathology society meetings.

In his new capacity, Dr. Petras will provide leadership and expertise to those AmeriPath pathologists who subspecialize in GI diseases, as well as to the legion of physicians that AmeriPath serves nationwide. Dr. Petras stated, “I am excited about joining AmeriPath, the largest independent anatomic pathology company in the United States. AmeriPath is known for its high quality, service and innovation. Strategically, AmeriPath has great vision, and I am looking forward to helping it develop the GI product and to having an impact on the anticipated growth of this business.”

Brian Carr, President of AmeriPath, Inc., stated, “We believe Dr. Petras’ experience and expertise in GI disease management, in concert with AmeriPath’s strategic vision, will provide unparalleled excellence in GI pathology to the medical community we serve. We are very excited about Dr. Petras joining the AmeriPath team to provide leadership and expertise and to help us accelerate our growth in this large and growing pathology market.” AmeriPath is a leading national provider of cancer diagnostics, genomic and related information services. During the first nine months of 2001, AmeriPath diagnosed approximately 2.9 million tissue biopsies, and interpreted approximately 1.6 million Pap smears. The company’s extensive diagnostics infrastructure includes over 400 pathologists and doctorate-level scientists providing services to 42 independent pathology laboratories, more than 200 hospitals, the Center for Advanced Diagnostics (CAD) and Dermpath Diagnostics. CAD provides specialized diagnostic testing and information services including Fluorescence In-Situ Hybridization (FISH), Flow Cytometry, DNA Analysis, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), Molecular Genetics, Cytogenetics and HPV Typing. AmeriPath has over 60 board-certified dermatopathologists supporting Dermpath Diagnostics, one of the country’s leading providers of dermatopathology services in the growing skin diagnostic market. Additionally, AmeriPath provides clinical trial and research development support to firms involved in developing new cancer and genomic diagnostics and therapeutics.

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The statements contained in this press release include "forward-looking statements'' within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements - which are sometimes identified by words such as "may", "should", "believe'', "expect'', "anticipate'', "estimate" and similar expressions and which include any financial or operating estimates, forecasts or projections - are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which involve factors or circumstances that are beyond the Company's control. These risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from results anticipated by forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include: the extent of success of the Company's operating initiatives and growth strategies; ability to manage growth; access to capital on satisfactory terms; general economic conditions; terrorism or an escalation of hostilities or war; competition and changes in competitive factors; federal and state healthcare regulation (and compliance); reimbursement rates under government and third party healthcare programs and the payments received under such programs; changes in coding; changes in technology; dependence upon pathologists and customer contracts; the ability to attract, motivate, and retain pathologists; labor, technology and insurance costs; marketing and promotional efforts; the availability of pathology practices in appropriate locations that the Company is able to acquire on suitable terms or develop; and the successful completion and integration of acquisitions (and achievement of planned or expected synergies). The forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date hereof based on management's current beliefs and expectations, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any such statements. Further information regarding risks, uncertainties and other factors that could affect the Company's financial or operating results or that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expected, estimated or anticipated are included in the Company's annual, quarterly, and other reports and filings with the SEC.