The American College of Radiology Gold Medal, which recognizes distinguished and extraordinary service to the ACR or to radiology, went to Bruce Hillman, John Patti, and Jeffrey Weinreb.
Hillman is a 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. 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, which conducted landmark studies demonstrating the value of digital mammography for breast cancer screening and computed tomography for colon and lung cancer screening.
Patti is a senior lecturer in radiology at Harvard Medical School and thoracic radiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. 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, 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.
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, Weinreb is considered a pioneer in developing clinical magnetic resonance imaging. 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.
In other awards, Berend Slotman and Jacob Sosna, of Jerusalem were named Honorary Fellows.
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.
Pamela Wilcox, of Ridge 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.
In a related development, Alan Kaye, of Bridgeport, Conn., Advanced Radiology Consultants and Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital, was elected president of ACR and Lawrence Liebscher, of Waterloo, Iowa, Cedar Valley Medical Specialists, was elected vice president.
