HCMC pathologist receives humanitarian award

The College of American Pathologists (CAP) Foundation named Bradley M. Linzie, MD, FCAP, from Minneapolis, Minn., the first recipient of the Gene and Jean Herbek Humanitarian Award at a special ceremony held on September 9, 2012, in San Diego, Calif., at the College’s annual meeting.

In 2011, the Foundation introduced the Gene and Jean Herbek Humanitarian Award, an annual award to provide a $25,000 grant to a CAP Fellow who provides leadership in a See, Test & Treat^® program, a free breast and cervical cancer screening program that provides same day test results and follow-up care to women in need. The purpose of the award is to build the impact and extend the reach of the See, Test & Treat program beyond its core services. The Herbek Humanitarian Award was inspired by CAP President-elect Gene N. Herbek, MD, FCAP, who brought the first See, Test & Treat program to Native American women in South Dakota, and by his wife Jean, who shares his commitment.

The CAP Foundation honored Dr. Linzie for his leadership in hosting six See, Test & Treat programs at NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center in Minneapolis, working with a team of physicians and health care professionals to provide potentially life-saving screening tests to hundreds of women in the community. This year’s See, Test, Treat program will take place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. October 9-11 at NorthPoint Health and Wellness Center, 1313 Penn Avenue North, Minneapolis.

With this grant, Dr. Linzie plans to purchase a microscope with a high definition camera and monitor to show Pap test slides to patients at See, Test, Treat programs and at other community health events.  “Seeing normal and abnormal cells under a microscope is an engaging and memorable experience for patients,” said Dr. Linzie. “ The visual display of how Pap tests are evaluated takes away the mystery and motivates women to get regular screening for themselves and share what they have learned with others.  I am grateful to the CAP Foundation to provide this opportunity to patients.”

Currently, Dr. Linzie practices as a full-time attending pathologist at Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC), which is located in downtown Minneapolis. HCMC is the largest “safety-net” hospital in Minnesota. In addition, Dr. Linzie serves as chair of the HCMC Medical Staff Quality Committee (MSQC), which performs peer-review and performance improvement initiatives.

Active in the University of Minnesota Pathology Residency Program, Dr. Linzie is a clinical instructor and the site coordinator for the three-month anatomic pathology rotation. He also is president of the Twin Cities Society of Pathologists, which provides dinner presentations for local pathologists in collaboration with the University of Minnesota’s Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology.

Dr.  Linzie graduated from the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis. He then completed a transitional internship at HCMC as part of a five-year AP/CP pathology residency at HCMC and Abbott-Northwestern Hospital. Dr. Linzie then completed a one-year surgical pathology fellowship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. He returned to HCMC and has been medical director of the HCMC Surgical Pathology Department since shortly after joining the faculty.

About the CAP and the CAP Foundation
The College of American Pathologists (CAP), the gold standard in laboratory accreditation for 50 years, is a medical society serving more than 18,000 physician members and the global laboratory community. It is the world’s largest association composed exclusively of board-certified pathologists and is the worldwide leader in laboratory quality assurance. The College advocates accountable, high-quality, and cost-effective patient care.

The CAP Foundation, the College’s philanthropic arm, supports patient-centered and humanitarian initiatives lead by pathologists, striving to connect people in underserved communities with the specialized skills of pathologists.

###