21 honored for patient care, strategy, safety, and service

Stanley J. Robboy, MD, was presented Sept. 7 with the Pathologist of the Year award during an evening event at the CAP ’14 annual meeting in Chicago. At the same event, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, Seema Sethi, MD, was honored as Resident of the Year, and Samir Sami Amr, MD, received the Pathology Advancement award. The CAP Foundation Gene and Jean Herbek Humanitarian award went to Barbarajean Magnani, PhD, MD, who was given a second award: the Distinguished Patient Care award.

Seventeen others received CAP or CAP Foundation awards at other times during CAP ’14.

Dr. Robboy was honored for his leadership during his term as the College’s 32nd president. He also was recognized for his contributions to the CAP spanning more than 40 years as a member, vice chair, and chair of numerous project teams, committees, and councils.

“Serving as CAP president was one of the highlights of my profession,” Dr. Robboy said in his published note of acceptance of the award.

He is a professor in and vice chair of the Department of Pathology and a professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Duke University, Durham, NC.

Dr. Seema Sethi’s Resident of the Year award was for her dedication to pathology and her accomplishments as an author and researcher. She is a fourth-year resident at Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit.

Dr. Amr was given the Pathology Advancement award for his dedication to improving laboratory quality and his efforts to expand the number of CAP-accredited laboratories in the Middle East.

In 2001, the late Hans Peters, MD, international commissioner for the Laboratory Accreditation Program, asked Dr. Amr to be the deputy commissioner for the Middle East. At that time, there were five CAP-accredited main laboratories in Saudi Arabia, among them Dr. Amr’s laboratory at Dhahran Health Center, where he served as chair of pathology. After 14 years in that role, Dr. Amr is gratified that the reputation and the high regard for the CAP are prompting more laboratories to seek CAP accreditation, now 35 in eight countries.

He is president of the International Academy of Pathology and chairman of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at King Fahad Specialist Hospital, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

The CAP Foundation presented Dr. Magnani with its Gene and Jean Herbek Humanitarian Award for her dedication to and leadership and compassion in providing women in underserved communities with direct-patient services and health screenings through the Foundation’s See, Test & Treat program.

Dr. Magnani was given the Distinguished Patient Care award for her expertise in toxicology and her work in improving pain management and patient care.

She is pathologist-in-chief at Tufts Medical Center and a professor and chair of anatomic and clinical pathology at Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston. She is the former chair of the CAP’s Toxicology Resource Committee and is currently a member of the CAP’s Council on Scientific Affairs.

Other awards presented were as follows:

Distinguished Patient Care award, to Gary L. Horowitz, MD, for his leadership in challenging instrument manufacturers on patient safety issues, which resulted in tangible improvements in diagnostic testing.

Dr. Horowitz is a pathologist in the Division of Laboratory Medicine, Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, and an associate professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School. He is chair of the Chemistry Resource Committee and a member of the Accuracy-Based Committee.

Distinguished Patient Care award, to Thomas M. Wheeler, MD, for his contributions to patient care as a communicator, educator, and leader in pathology of prostate and other genitourinary cancers. Most notably, the CAP honors Dr. Wheeler for leading the development of and serving as the director for the CAP Prostate Advanced Practical Pathology Program.

Dr. Wheeler holds the W. L. Moody Jr. professorship and chair in pathology and is chair of the Department of Pathology and Immunology at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston.

Outstanding Service award, to Gail H. Vance, MD, for leading the development of the CAP genomics strategy and for her work on regulatory and legislative issues related to genomic and molecular medicine.

Dr. Vance is the Sutphin professor of cancer genetics and interim chair of the Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis. She is also director of the Division of Diagnostic Genomics and the Indiana Familial Cancer Program.

Distinguished Service award, to Stephen J. Cina, MD, for his contributions to forensic pathology and exceptional efforts to ensure public health and safety.

Dr. Cina is Cook County chief medical examiner in Chicago. He is chair of the CAP Toxicology Committee.

Resident Advocate award, to Jan Glas, CAE, for her contributions to and support of pathology residents as manager of the CAP Residents Forum since 1997. She is CAP manager of resident engagement.

Lifetime Achievement award, to Charles S. Eby, MD, for his support of the College over the years, including representing the CAP internationally at the National External Quality Assessment Service Coordination Group in Blood Coagulation and service and leadership as Coagulation Resource Committee chair.

Dr. Eby is a professor in the Departments of Pathology and Immunology and Medicine and associate chief, Division of Laboratory and Genomic Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, and medical director at Barnes-Jewish Hospital Clinical Laboratories, St. Louis.

Lifetime Achievement award, to Tracy I. George, MD, for her support of the College, including service and leadership as chair of the Hematology/Clinical Microscopy Resource Committee and as a member of the Council on Scientific Affairs, Quality Practices Committee, and Spokespersons Network.

Dr. George is chief of the Division of Hematopathology and director of the hematopathology fellowship program, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center and Tricore Reference Laboratories, Albuquerque. She is also a pathologist at UNM Hospitals, UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center, and Presbyterian.