College Of American Pathologists Honors Member Physicians For Lifetime Service

Contact: Aaron Osborne  Phone: 847-832-7030  E-mail: MEDIA@CAP.ORG

Northfield, IL—Doctors are often recognized for dedicating a lifetime of hard work to their patients, but pathologists are the unseen physicians who provide the diagnosis for the patient while working to improve the system through the laboratory and medical testing—all without much fanfare.

The College of American Pathologists (CAP), the world's largest association of board-certified pathologists, honored six of its members with the CAP Lifetime Achievement Award for making a broad and positive impact on the specialty through their work with the organization and within the practice of medicine. The members accepted their awards at a ceremony during CAP16: The Pathologists' Meeting in Las Vegas, September 24–28.

Awardees Include

Hector C. Aldape, MD, FCAP: Current emeritus clinical professor at the University of Washington Medical School's department of pathology. Dr. Aldape also served as the deputy regional commissioner for the CAP's Commission on Laboratory Accreditation for Central and South America as well as the director of anatomic pathology at Northwest Hospital in Seattle. "I believe the pathologist's involvement in improving the quality of patient care is based on implementing the ever-increasing new technologies in laboratory medicine," he said.

Daniel J. Brat, MD, PhD, FCAP: Current neuropathologist at Emory University Hospital and director of neuropathology at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. Dr. Brat has chaired the CAP Neuropathology Committee and served on several other panels throughout his years of service. He said, "I am honored to receive such an award from the CAP, an organization that has done so much to promote and protect the practice of pathology and to enhance the quality of health care nationally and internationally."

Desiree A. Carlson, MD, FCAP: Current chief of pathology and president of Carlson Pathology Associates in Brockton, Massachusetts, as well as associate professor at Boston University School of Medicine. Dr. Carlson has been actively involved with the CAP and laboratory accreditation since 1978. Speaking on her service and recent recognition, Dr. Carlson said, "Being able to help others is my core value in life."

Joan E. Etzell, MD, FCAP: Current vice president and medical director for Sutter Health Shared Laboratory in Livermore, California. She has assisted at CAP annual meeting workshops, served on CAP committees, and provided expert opinions for published guides. Dr. Etzell said, "Pathology is a field that is constantly evolving. It allows me to be a continual educator by being a resource for laboratory staff, physicians, and patients."

Vinay Kumar, MBBS, MD, FCAP: Current professor and chair of the department of pathology at the University of Chicago. Dr. Kumar has conducted invaluable research in cellular and molecular biology, especially on natural killer cells, a subset of lymphocytes. He has also greatly contributed to education through his teaching and editing of pathology texts throughout his career. He said, "I hope that I bring value to the CAP and to the field of pathology through improving the quality of education that ultimately translates into improving the quality of practice of pathologists."

Kailash B. Sharma, MD, FCAP: Current laboratory director for University Hospital in Augusta, Georgia, as well as medical examiner for Richmond County. He has served the CAP in many capacities since becoming a member in 1974, but is especially proud of his work with laboratory accreditation and best practices in India. Dr. Sharma said, "The CAP's education and mission foster excellence in serving our patients for all of us who are practicing physicians. Because of this, I treat every specimen as if it were my own."

About the College of American Pathologists

As the leading organization for board-certified pathologists, the College of American Pathologists (CAP) serves patients, pathologists, and the public by fostering and advocating excellence in the practice of pathology and laboratory medicine worldwide. With 18,000 physician members, the CAP has led laboratory accreditation for more than 50 years with more than 7,900 CAP-accredited laboratories in 50 countries. Find more information about the CAP at CAP.ORG. Follow CAP on Twitter at @PATHOLOGISTS.