Donald S. Karcher, MD, professor of pathology at the George Washington University (GW) School of Medicine and Health Sciences and chief of Flow Cytometry at the GW Medical Faculty Associates, has added another title to his roster: president-elect of the College of American Pathologists (CAP).
“I’m honored to have been elected as president-elect of CAP,” said Karcher, who joined the GW faculty in 1984 and served as chair of the Department of Pathology from 1999 to 2019. “In this new role, I’m aiming to continue the support, advocacy, and education CAP provides for our community of pathologists. I plan to ensure CAP remains a valuable resource for our physicians and clinical laboratories as we continue to serve our patients to the best of our ability.”
CAP, founded in 1946, is the largest organization of board-certified pathologists and physicians who specialize in diagnostic pathology and laboratory medicine in the world. A preeminent provider of laboratory accreditation and proficiency testing (PT) programs, CAP played an active role during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among its efforts, CAP launched three COVID-19 PT programs for molecular, serologic, and antigen tests, and one Quality Cross Check program for antigen testing.
A longtime CAP member, Karcher previously served on the Board of Governors and as chair of the Council on Education, the Council on Government and Professional Affairs, the Pathologist Pipeline Ad Hoc Committee, and the Value-Based Care Strategy Steering Group. According to CAP, he has advocated for fair pay for pathologists and helped to provide educational resources for pathologists and other clinical laboratorians. Previously, Karcher served as president of the Association of Pathology Chairs, an organization of academic pathology departments in the U.S. and Canada, from 2014 to 2016.
“I look forward to bringing my experience, expertise, and passion to this role,” Karcher said. “Now is a critical time for pathologists, with emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, soon to become part of our daily practice and with all of us becoming more visible to our patients and their loved ones.”
Karcher will serve as CAP president-elect from 2021 to 2023 and president from 2023 to 2025.
