The American College of Radiology (ACR) Board of Chancellors presented its highest honor, the Gold Medal, to three radiologists during its ACR 2017 conference, being held this week in Washington, DC.
The Gold Medal recognizes distinguished and extraordinary service to the ACR or to radiology. The ACR awarded the medal to Dr. Bruce Hillman of Wake Forest, NC; Dr. John Patti of Lynnfield, MA; and Dr. Jeffrey Weinreb of New Haven, CT.
Hillman is a professor of radiology, medical imaging, and public health sciences and former chair of radiology at the University of Virginia. He is also founding and current editor in chief of the Journal of the American College of Radiology. He has investigated self-referral and inappropriate utilization and developed new methods of data analysis and interpretation. He is the founding chair of the American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN), which has conducted studies demonstrating the value of digital mammography for breast cancer screening and CT for colon and lung cancer screening.
Patti is a senior lecturer in radiology at Harvard Medical School and a thoracic radiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. During his ACR leadership tenure, he spearheaded ACR programs and initiatives including the Radiology Leadership Institute, the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute, the American Institute for Radiologic Pathology (AIRP), ACR Select, and the ACR Commission on International Relations. He is an expert in imaging economics and health policy and has advocated for fair payment policies, according to the ACR.
Weinreb is 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. He has made contributions in quality and safety regarding MRI; MRI contrast agents; and abdominal, obstetrical, and prostate MRI, the ACR said. He has been an advocate for the ACR Appropriateness Criteria and championed participation in the Choosing Wisely initiative.
The ACR also named two honorary fellows: Dr. Berend Slotman, PhD, of Amsterdam and Dr. Jacob Sosna, of Jerusalem.
Slotman is a professor and chair of radiation oncology at VU Medical Center in Amsterdam and is known for his work on lung cancer and stereotactic ablation radiotherapy, according to the ACR. Sosna is chair of the division of imaging at Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center in Jerusalem. He established three facilities for clinical and scientific studies: one for 3D imaging, one for experimental CT, and one for applied radiology.
Finally, the ACR awarded Pamela Wilcox of Ridge, MD, the Distinguished Achievement Award for service to the college and the profession. Wilcox served as ACR executive vice president of quality and safety, retiring in 2016 after 28 years. She managed the ACR mammography accreditation program, which influenced the development and passage of the 1992 Mammography Quality Standards Act, according to the ACR.
