Feature Story

At CAP’04, five honored for top-notch service

November 2004

Paul Raslavicus, MD, CAP president from 2001 to 2003, was named the 2004 Pathologist of the Year at a ceremony at CAP ’04 in Phoenix in September.

The CAP Pathologist of the Year Award is given to a CAP member for outstanding contributions to the field of pathology and to the CAP’s programs and activities.

"I am honored by the Board’s decision to present me with the Pathologist of the Year award," Dr. Raslavicus said. "This moment would have never come without the dedicated efforts of my colleagues in the College, the College staff, and the support of my family."

The CAP presented four other awards—two posthumously—for meritorious service to the CAP, exceptional service to the Laboratory Accreditation Program, outstanding communications contributions, and service and dedication to pathology residents.

Dr. Raslavicus became active in the College in 1971 and has since served in numerous capacities. He was chair of the Council on Government and Professional Affairs, State Regulation and Legislation Committee, and the Reimbursement Committee; vice chair of the National Legislative and Regulatory Committee; and member of the Commission on Government Affairs, Committee on Contract Options, Commission on Professional Relations, and Ad Hoc Committee on CLIA Implementation. He was secretary of the House of Delegates, secretary treasurer of the CAP, CAP governor, state commissioner in the accreditation program, and treasurer of the Political Action Committee.

Kenneth D. McClatchey, DDS, MD, received posthumously the 2004 Frank W. Hartman, MD, Memorial Award. This award honors the first president of the College and is given each year to an individual who performed meritorious service to the College.

Dr. McClatchey, who was editor of the Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, was also a CAP governor from 1986 to 1992. He served on many CAP committees and councils, among them the Standards Committee, International Committee, Council on Scientific Affairs, and Council on Government and Professional Affairs.

He was a consultant to the Veterans Administration, various laboratories in Canada, the Pan American Health Association, and the Canadian Standards Association. He was president of the World Association of Societies of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and the chief consultant with the International Atomic Energy Commission Project to develop model laboratories in 12 Southeast Asian countries in need.

"I am saddened by the recent passing of my colleague Dr. Kenneth McClatchey, but I am honored to have had him as an active and insightful member of our community of pathologists," Mary Kass, MD, CAP president, said at the ceremony. "His dedicated, multifaceted, and humanitarian approach, along with his many contributions to the field of pathology, will be greatly missed."

William B. Hamlin, MD, was the 2004 recipient of the CAP Major General Joe M. Blumberg Award. Dr. Kass had presented the award to Dr. Hamlin at his home in Seattle in February. Dr. Hamlin died a few months later, on May 3, 2004.

The Blumberg Award is presented each year to an individual who has contributed exceptional service to the Laboratory Accreditation Program. The award is named for Maj. Gen. Joe M. Blumberg, a founder of the program who envisioned a spirit of laboratory improvement through the peer-review process. Dr. Hamlin was recognized for his commitment to precision and service and for his enthusiasm in helping promote lab improvement while strengthening laboratory quality and performance.

"Dr. Hamlin’s contribution to the program goes beyond his nine years of leadership," Dr. Kass said. "Through the LAP, and the hard work of physicians such as Dr. Hamlin, patients around the world are receiving superior care. He distinguished the program, the College, and our profession by his efforts, and we are thankful."

Dr. Hamlin was chair of the Commission on Laboratory Accreditation from 1993 to 2002, and it was during his tenure that the College was awarded deeming authority to inspect laboratories under CLIA ’88. In addition, he served as a member of the CAP Board of Governors from 1985 to 1991. He was also chair of the Council on Quality Assurance, the Information Systems Oversight Committee, and the Building Committee. He had been a member, too, of numerous committees, most recently the International, Finance, Investment, and Planning committees.

Dr. Hamlin received the Frank W. Hartman, MD, Memorial Award in 1992 and the CAP Pathologist of the Year Award in 1993. He received the Frank C. Coleman Award for Public Service in 2001.

Gregory J. Davis, MD, received the 2004 William L. Kuehn, PhD, Outstanding Communicator Award, which is presented to a CAP member who has done outstanding work to strengthen the image of pathology and educate the public about wellness. Through his participation in the CAP Spokespersons Network, Dr. Davis has helped hundreds of pathologists become more effective communicators.

He said, "I have always felt that pathologists have an important role in raising society’s awareness about health care issues. I thank the CAP staff for giving me the opportunity to use my medical knowledge and my communication abilities to educate others."

Dr. Davis is the director of the Division of Forensic Pathology and the associate director of residency training at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine’s Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. He also serves as the interdisciplinary fellow at the University of Kentucky College of Law.

Dr. Davis is an active leader in the health care community. He serves as associate chief medical examiner for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, as an ad hoc faculty member at the University of Louisville, as a pathology advisor for the Southern Medical Association, and as a weekly commentator for WUKY-FM’s "Medical Minute."

He is the chair of the CAP Forensic Pathology Committee and has served as a member of the Autopsy Committee, as vice chair of the Forensic Pathology/Identity Committee, and as a spokesperson in the CAP Spokespersons Network.

Kim A. Collins, MD, was given the Resident Advocate Award for her years of service and dedication to pathology residents. She received the award during the Residents Forum meeting at CAP ’04 to reflect her role as a mentor and as an educator.

Nominations for this award are made by a CAP junior member, are selected and reviewed by members of the CAP’s Residents Forum Executive Committee, and are approved by the CAP Board of Governors based on outstanding contributions to and support of pathology. "I am thrilled that my colleagues understand and share my passion to promote pathology through mentorship and education to help explain the vital role pathologists play in patient health and wellness," Dr. Collins said.

Dr. Collins is the director of the Autopsy and Forensic Pathology Sections at the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston. She is a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at the university and co-director of the pathology education division of the medical and dental schools. She is also the director of the forensic pathology fellowship program.

Dr. Collins is the chair of the Autopsy Committee and a member-delegate to the CAP House of Delegates. She sits on the CAP Foundation Board of Directors, serves as state commissioner for the Laboratory Accreditation Program, and is a member of the Patient and Public Relations Committee and the CAP Spokespersons Network. She is the former Residents Forum chair and is a past member of the CAP Strategic Planning, Residents and Young Physicians, Finance, Forensic, Education, and Membership committees.