College of American Pathologists Honors California Pathologist with the Frank W. Hartman Memorial Award

Northfield, IL.—William R. Dito, MD, FCAP, of La Jolla, Calif., was awarded The Frank W. Hartman Memorial Award for his many years of service to the College of American Pathologists at CAP ’05, the CAP’s annual meeting—on Sept. 11, 2005.

Dr. Dito is recognized for the significant contributions he has made to the College while chairing the Information Science and Technology Committee and the Telepathology Planning Committee.

"I am pleased to receive the 2005 Frank W. Hartman Award from the College of American Pathologists," said Dr. Dito. " I am grateful that my peers appreciate the enthusiasm I have for pathology and for patient health and wellness."

Dr. Dito served as a member of the CAP Board of Governors from 1998-2004 and as a regional commissioner for the Laboratory Accreditation Program for the Southwest from 1995-1998. Awards received include the CAP Presidents Medal in 1997 and 2004, the Distinguished Service Award from the American Society for Clinical Pathology, the ASCP/CAP Distinguished Service Award in 1998. In addition, in 2004, he was named as an API Honorary Pathology Informatics Fellow.

Retired from active practice since 1995, Dr. Dito held positions most recently as division head of laboratory medicine at Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation in La Jolla, Calif., as chief of laboratory services at Veterans Administration Hospital in Tucson and as an associate professor of pathology at the University of Arizona School of Medicine in Tucson. Earlier, he served as director of laboratories at Pontiac General Hospital in Michigan, as chief of clinical pathology at Letterman Army Hospital in San Francisco and as chief of Laboratory service at 20th Station Hospital in Nuremberg, Germany.

Dr. Dito, who has been a visiting professor at Gorgas Army Hospital in the Panama Canal Zone, at Madigan Army Hospital in Tacoma, Wash., and at Beaumont Army Hospital, is still actively involved in academia. He has served on the editorial boards of the American Journal of Clinical Pathology, Laboratory Medicine, Archives of Pathology and the Clinical Laboratory Management Association, and he was the editor for Informatics in Pathology, by Grune and Stratton, from 1991-1994.

Coupled with his numerous workshops and lectures at national, state and local scientific meetings, universities and hospitals, Dr. Dito has published nearly 80 pieces including about 25 original peer-reviewed papers on various anatomical and clinical pathology topics. He co-edited four immunology books and one on therapeutic drug monitoring; wrote chapters on amniotic fluid analysis, informatics and immunoassay procedures; and published many trade journal articles on related subjects.

A former major in the U.S. army, Dr. Dito completed his undergraduate studies at University of San Francisco in California before he received his medical degree from Stritch School of Medicine of Loyola University of Chicago. Board-certified in both clinical and anatomic pathology, as well as radioisotopic pathology, Dr. Dito interned at Detroit Receiving Hospital and served his residency at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, D.C.

The College of American Pathologists is a medical society that serves nearly 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.