NORTHFIELD, ILL. —Barbarajean Magnani, Ph.D., M.D., FCAP, pathologist-in-chief at Tufts Medical Center, Boston, received two awards from the College of American Pathologists (CAP) and the CAP Foundation. She was honored with the Gene and Jean Herbek Humanitarian Award and the CAP Distinguished Patient Care Award at the CAP’s annual conference, CAP’14—THE Pathologists’ Meeting™, taking place today through Sept. 10 in Chicago.
“The humanitarian award recognizes Dr. Magnani for her unflagging leadership, compassion, and dedication to providing women in underserved communities with direct-patient services and health screenings through the See, Test & Treat program,” said CAP Foundation President Lewis A. Hassell, M.D., FCAP.
The award is named for CAP President Gene N. Herbek, M.D., FCAP, who first introduced the See, Test & Treat cancer screening program 15 years ago.
Dr. Magnani also received the CAP Distinguished Patient Care Award. “We are honored to recognize Dr. Magnani’s expertise in toxicology and her success in improving pain management and patient care,” said Dr. Herbek.
See, Test & Treat is led by CAP member pathologists and a team of volunteer physicians and health care professionals. During a See, Test & Treat program, women receive a pelvic and breast exam, a Pap test with same-day results, a mammogram with same-day or prompt results and connection to follow-up care.
Dr. Magnani says See, Test & Treat brings the patient and the pathologist closer together. She sees this vital program as an opportunity for pathologists to provide care to those who need it most critically—uninsured women with cultural barriers to cancer screening—and for pathologists to interact with patients directly. “Patients can pull aside the curtain and see that pathologists are the doctors behind the diagnosis,” she says.
Dr. Magnani says drug testing is her passion.
“We are experiencing an unprecedented national epidemic of prescription drug abuse, with an unfortunate concomitant rise in the rate of unintentional drug overdose deaths. Most of these patients have been prescribed opioid medications to relieve chronic pain, which also have a high potential for abuse and misuse,” said Dr. Magnani.
In addition to her post at Tufts Medical Center, Dr. Magnani is professor and chair of anatomic and clinical pathology at Tufts University School of Medicine.
Role of the Pathologist
Sometimes called the “doctor’s doctor,” pathologists are physicians who use laboratory medicine to examine cells, tissues, and body fluids to identify and diagnose disease, from pre-birth to after death. They work with other physicians on the patient care team to guide treatment for medical conditions, from diabetes to cancer.
About the College of American Pathologists
As the leading organization with more than 18,000 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. The CAP’s Laboratory Improvement Programs, initiated 65 years ago, currently has customers in more than 100 countries, accrediting 7,600 laboratories and providing proficiency testing to 20,000 laboratories worldwide. Find more information about the CAP at cap.org. Follow CAP on Twitter at @pathologists.
The CAP Foundation, its philanthropic arm, supports patient-centered and humanitarian initiatives led by pathologists, striving to connect people in underserved communities with the specialized skills of pathologists.
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Editor’s Note: Contact CAP Media to arrange an interview with Dr. Magnani to further explore the vital role pathologists play in patient care and safety. Event photos of award presentation and headshot of Dr. Magnani are available upon request.
