Monica Phillips, MD, FCAP

Fellowships: Women’s Pathology & Surgical Pathology – University of California, Los Angeles, Cytopathology – University of Mississippi
Residency: Anatomic & Clinical Pathology – Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Medical School: University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine

Dr. Monica R. Phillips has served as Laboratory Medical Director for Cottage Health since 2022, overseeing laboratory services across Pacific Diagnostic Laboratories, Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital, and Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital. She is also a member of the Goleta Valley and Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital Medical Executive Committees.

Board-certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology and Cytopathology, Dr. Phillips joined Mission Pathology in 2014. She brings extensive experience as a CLIA laboratory medical director and has served as a College of American Pathologists (CAP) inspector for both regional and national laboratories. Prior to her current role, she served as the delegated Director of the Cytopathology Department and as a clinical consultant for Pap and Women’s Health services.

Dr. Phillips is actively engaged in multidisciplinary cancer and internal medicine care and quality initiatives. She chairs the Laboratory Utilization Committee, represents pathology at the Surgical Cancer Conference, and serves on multiple system committees, including Patient Safety & Quality, Medical Staff Information Technology, Tissue, Antibiotic Stewardship, and Infection Prevention & Control. She is a member of the Central Coast Medical Association and serves in the California CAP House of Delegates.

Outside of medicine, Dr. Phillips is a lifelong cinephile and enjoys creative pursuits including improvisational and stand-up comedy. She is a member of the SAG-AFTRA labor union. Her spouse is a retired naval aviator who now flies internationally for Delta Air Lines.