News Release

Published on: July 07, 2005

Leading Pathology Organization Opposes Closing AFIP at BRAC Hearing

Cites AFIP’s Invaluable Contributions to Medical Research, Homeland Security and Civilian and Military Patient Care

Washington DC—In testimony before the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC) today, Daniel L. Seckinger, MD, FCAP, past-president of the College of American Pathologists told commission members that closing the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) would have serious, wide ranging ramifications affecting medical research, veterans, homeland security and both military and civilian patients.

“A decision to close the AFIP is no small matter,” said Dr. Seckinger. “It has far-reaching implications for both the military and civilian medical communities and should be evaluated in a larger context than simply its role in the military health system. I urge the Commission to keep in mind that once you dismantle 150 years of unmatched medical scientific expertise, there is no turning back.”

According to Dr. Seckinger, the AFIP is one of only a few facilities in United States with the ability to deal with a bioterrorist attack through rapid diagnosis and the ability to manage an epidemic. In addition, the AFIP has also developed improved ways to detect bioterror agents such as a new test that identifies cholera at the sub-atomic level and, in partnership with the private sector, a new biothreat detector utilizing Raman spectroscopy.

“Since September 11, 2001 speculations have centered on the manner of the next assault, not “if” or “when” but “how.” Whatever form of bioterrorist attack, the AFIP has the expertise to assist in rapid understanding and diagnosis of the agent,” said Dr. Seckinger.

During his testimony, Dr. Seckinger also identified multiple unique contributions that the AFIP makes to the US medical community saying that many thousands of civilian and military lives have been saved thanks to the expertise of the AFIP which provided the medical community with answers to unusual and exceptionally difficult cases. 

Dr. Seckinger also testified as to the irreplaceable nature of the AFIP’s vast tissue repository that spans over 150 years of American medical history.  While the current proposal would warehouse all of these cases, it makes no provision for upkeep or to continue to use the repository as a functional resource for education and research.

“Throughout its history, this national treasure of more than 3 million cases, 50 million paraffin blocks, and 10 million formalin-fixed tissue specimens—many rare and unusual—combined with DNA and molecular breakthroughs has allowed us to develop curative therapies for previously untreatable and often fatal diseases,” said Dr. Seckinger.

Dr. Seckinger cited the AFIP’s contributions to the development of a typhoid vaccine and the discovery of the cause of yellow fever as just a couple of the AFIP’s many successes that have served all patients, not just the military.

According to Dr. Seckinger, military care would be compromised under the proposed plan to close the AFIP. For example, the AFIP provides expert pathology services to military medical centers around the globe through the Army Telepathology Program that utilizes remote controlled microscopes and offers medical treatment and consultation that would be otherwise unavailable in the field. Also, the AFIP also maintains 40,000 specimens in registries for POWs, Agent Orange, and Operations Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom among others, benefiting thousands of veterans and today’s deployed forces. Last year alone, the AFIP reviewed over 13,200 cases for VA and hospitals and clinics. 

“Preserving AFIP is essential to all of medicine,” said Dr. Seckinger. “We fervently oppose closing AFIP and we call on the Commission to reject the Department of Defense’s recommendation to do so.”

Dr. Seckinger’s testimony is available on the CAP website at www.cap.org

For more information, contact Anthony Phipps via e-mail at tphipps@cap.org or by phone at 800-323-4040, ext. 7574.

The College of American Pathologists is a medical society serving about 16,000 physician members and the laboratory community throughout the world.  It is the world’s largest association composed exclusively of pathologists and is widely considered the leader in laboratory quality assurance. The CAP is an advocate for high quality and cost-effective patient care.