Newswise — WASHINGTON, DC (May 21, 2017) — The American College of Radiology (ACR) Board of Chancellors (BOC) presented its highest honor—the Gold Medal—to three pioneering innovators during ACR 2017 — The Crossroads of Radiology® May 21–25 in Washington, DC.
ACR bestowed the Gold Medal, which recognizes distinguished and extraordinary service to the ACR or to radiology, to Bruce J. Hillman, MD, FACR, of Wake Forest, N.C.; John A. Patti, MD, FACR, of Lynnfield, Mass.; and Jeffrey C. Weinreb, MD, FACR, of New Haven, Conn.
“When we talk about the pioneers and innovators who have impacted radiology, we are pleased to add this year’s Gold Medalists to the extraordinary gallery of past awardees,” said James A. Brink, MD, FACR, BOC chair. “Drs. Hillman, Patti and Weinreb each have a strong record of accomplishment within our specialty and in service to the ACR. They avail themselves of every opportunity to provide visionary leadership and to advance high-quality medicine and patient-centered radiologic care,” he added.
The following three individuals received the ACR Gold Medal.
Bruce J. Hillman, MD, FACR
Hillman, professor of radiology and medical imaging and public health sciences and former chair of radiology at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, and founding and current editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American College of Radiology® (JACR), is a distinguished health services researcher and clinical trialist. The author of the seminal investigative work on self-referral and inappropriate utilization developed new methods of data analysis and interpretation, paving the application of health services research methodologies to imaging. He is the founding chair of the American College of Radiology Imaging Network® (ACRIN), which conducted landmark studies demonstrating the value of digital mammography for breast cancer screening and computed tomography (CT) for colon and lung cancer screening.
John A. Patti, MD, FACR
Patti is currently a senior lecturer in radiology at Harvard Medical School and thoracic radiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, both in Boston. During his ACR leadership tenure, he championed and facilitated many critical and acclaimed ACR programs and initiatives, including the Radiology Leadership Institute, the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute®, the American Institute of Radiologic Pathology (AIRP), ACR Select® and created the ACR Commission on International Relations. An expert in imaging economics and health policy, Patti widely communicated the myriad and complicated financial issues related to radiology, advocating for fair payment policies and the understanding of the critical value radiologists contribute to patient care.
Jeffrey C. Weinreb, MD, FACR
A professor and vice chair for strategic planning in the department of radiology and biomedical imaging at Yale-New Haven Hospital/Yale School of Medicine, Weinreb is considered a pioneer in developing clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a highly sensitive imaging technique with ever-increasing utility. He has made significant contributions in quality and safety; MRI contrast agents; and abdominal, obstetrical and prostatic MRI. He has been a strong advocate for maintaining and further developing the ACR Appropriateness Criteria® and championed participation in the American Board of Internal Medicine Choosing Wisely® initiative.
Honorary Fellows Named
Berend J. Slotman, MD, PhD, of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and Jacob Sosna, MD, of Jerusalem, Israel, were named Honorary Fellows during ACR 2017. Slotman is a professor and chair of radiation oncology at VU Medical Center in Amsterdam and widely known for his work on lung cancer and for broadening the field of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy. Sosna is chair, division of imaging, at Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center in Jerusalem. He established three facilities for clinical and scientific studies: one for 3-D imaging, one for experimental CT and one for applied radiology. They were elected by the ACR Board of Chancellors in recognition of preeminent contributions to the science or practice of radiology.
Distinguished Achievement Awardee Honored
Pamela A. Wilcox, RN, MBA, of Ridge, Md., received the Distinguished Achievement Award for notable service to the College and the profession. Wilcox served as ACR executive vice president of quality and safety, retiring in 2016 after 28 years of service to the College. She managed the ACR mammography accreditation program, which greatly influenced the development and passage of the 1992 Mammography Quality Standards Act.
ACR 2017 — The Crossroads of Radiology is being held May 21–25 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC. View ACR 2017 sessions, special events and the interactive program.
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About the American College of Radiology
The American College of Radiology (ACR), founded in 1924, is a professional medical society dedicated to serving patients and society by empowering radiology professionals to advance the practice, science and professions of radiological care.
To arrange an interview with any ACR member, please contact Shawn Farley at 703-648-8936, Maryann Verrillo at 703-390-9822 or email [email protected].