Foundation Goes Global in New Initiative
Inspired by his many years of international travel and the work of his colleagues leading health initiatives in Africa and Southeast Asia, Gerald Hanson, MD, FCAP, has established the CAP Foundation’s new Global Pathology Fund. His generous donation will support pathology initiatives in medically under-resourced areas around the world.
“These [places] have low economic resources, limited health care budgets, limited laboratory services, and, in most cases, a paucity of specialty trained pathologists,” he said. “Addressing this fits the domain of the Foundation.”
The fully titled Gerald R. Hanson, MD, Global Pathology Fund was established in October 2019 to advance the specialty with a focus on training and education, leadership, patient care, laboratory quality, and research.
Dr. Hanson envisions many opportunities for global pathology initiatives, all of which will be considered by a newly formed committee to allocate and award funding. The Foundation will begin by assessing CAP member interest in global pathology initiatives and gathering data on current international activities.
For pathologists, Dr. Hanson wants to continue and expand the Foundation’s mission to support leadership and educational opportunities for both international laboratory professionals and those in the US interested in international outreach. Educational programs, hosted by US pathologists, could share knowledge, expertise, and best practices on emerging technologies like digital pathology through onsite or remote learning programs.
There are also opportunities for partnerships with other professional societies to achieve common goals, according to Dr. Hanson. By working with organizations devoted to pathology, oncology, or other specialties, the CAP Foundation and funding recipients could more effectively create meaningful change.
Dr. Hanson and the Foundation are also looking for existing global projects with cervical and breast cancer programs, for which the new Global Pathology Fund could provide additional support to directly reach international patients and the pathologists who guide their care.
One of the CAP Foundation’s significant successes has always been its ability to provide new leadership opportunities to pathologists while simultaneously highlighting their role in the care community. Dr. Hanson said, “The CAP Foundation provides a demonstrative expression of the pathologist’s heart and value for people.”
Dr. Hanson is a longtime supporter of the Foundation and has served as a member of the CAP Board of Governors, where he first discussed the idea of global health initiatives. Based on the passion of pathologists and their clinical partners, Dr. Hanson is confident this is beginning of a program with significant, far-reaching impact.
“The CAP Foundation has been addressing health equity domestically for nearly a decade with the award-winning See Test & Treat program,” Dr. Hanson said. “The global pathology initiative builds on this and extends the Foundation’s reach to address health equity globally.”
