American Cancer Society Presents Distinguished Service Awards

American Cancer Society
Sunday, 12 November 2000

The American Cancer Society, the nation's leading voluntary health agency, today presented its Distinguished Service Award to two leaders in cancer control at its 2000 annual Board of Directors meeting. The award is in recognition of major achievements in the field of cancer. The awards were presented by the Society's president Gerald L. Woolam, MD. at an awards luncheon at the Chicago Marriott Hotel.

Blake Cady, MD, is director, Breast Health Center at Women and Infants Hospital and professor of surgery at Brown University School of Medicine, both in Providence, Rhode Island. He has been a volunteer at the American Cancer Society since 1974 and became president of the Massachusetts Division in 1991. That was the year that Massachusetts became the first state in the Union where cancer surpassed heart disease as the leading cause of death. Dr. Cady founded and chaired the Massachusetts Coalition for a Healthy Future, the group that won passage of Question One in 1992, the ballot question that raised Massachusetts' tobacco excise tax by 25-cents per pack and led to funding and organization of a comprehensive tobacco control program. The latest results show the smoking rates for students in Massachusetts today are declining at three times the rate of states without an integrated program. This Massachusetts tobacco control program is considered a model for effective tobacco control.

Dr. Cady was honored for his outstanding service to the American Cancer Society. For his commitment and leadership every level, local, state and national, to the cause of cancer control and professional education; for his contributions as a researcher and clinician to the surgical treatment of cancer; for his contagious energy and ability to motivate; and for his impassioned belief that, through community organization and action, citizens can effectively challenge the tobacco industry at the ballot box and, by voting to raise cigarette taxes significantly, can cause a dramatic decline in smoking, especially among youth.

Barbara Rimer, DrPH., director, Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland, received her award for her contributions as one of the nation's most respected scientists in the field of public health and for her translation of research into practical applications to improve human health; for her thoughtful investigations into the causes of cancer-related behaviors, such as tobacco use or the failure to seek cancer screening, and her subsequent development of interventions that result in lifesaving behavioral changes; for her commitment to teaching and mentoring the next generation of public health professionals; and for her lifelong dedication to cancer control in partnership with the American Cancer Society.

Before coming to the National Cancer Institute, Dr. Rimer was director of cancer prevention, detection and control research at the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center. She is former chairperson of the National Cancer Advisory Board, the first woman to hold that post. Prior to Duke, she was director of behavioral research at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. She has her MPH in health education and health administration from the University of Michigan and her PhD in health education from Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health.

Dr. Rimer has served on the boards of Health Education Quarterly, Preventive Medicine and Health Education Research. She is co-editor of Health Behavior and Health Education, now in its 2nd edition.

The American Cancer Society is the nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy and service.

For more information, or to contact American Cancer Society, see their website at: www.cancer.org