2021 CAP Public Service Award

Originally established in 1989 as the Frank C. Coleman Award for Public Service, this award honors the memory and work of the sixth president of the College of American Pathologists. In 2006, the name of the award was changed to the CAP Public Service Award Established in Honor of Frank C. Coleman. The award is given to a CAP Fellow who best exemplifies the political, citizenship, and leadership qualities of the late Dr. Coleman and is the highest honor for outstanding accomplishments and dedication to political and civic life and to public service in the US. The CAP presents this award when merited, not necessarily on an annual basis.

The College of American Pathologists presents Sarah M. Eakin, MD, FCAP, with the CAP Public Service Award in recognition of her accomplishments and dedication to political and civic life and to public service in the United States. She was a member of the Economic Affairs Committee (EAC) Measures and Performance Assessment Subcommittee from 2015 to 2020. In her role, she was instrumental in developing pathology performance measures for Medicare’s Quality Payment Program.

The CAP nominated Dr. Eakin and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) selected her to represent pathology’s interest in the CMS’s episode-based cost measure task force. As a member of this national CMS committee, she has participated in wave two (Gastrointestinal Disease Management, Oncologic Disease Management, Pulmonary Disease Management, Urologic Disease Management) and wave three (Dermatologic Disease Management, Hospital Medicine, Colorectal Surgery) cost measure development cycles. In all these roles, Dr. Eakin continuously focuses on ensuring that pathologists are appropriately measured in these new payment models, while at the same time, developing performance measures that improve patient care. Because of her leadership on a national level, as well as her active role in the EAC’s subcommittee, Dr. Eakin was selected to be a charter member of the new CAP Quality and Clinical Data Registry Committee.

Dr. Eakin is an active member of her community. She has served on the board of trustees of the Community Blood Bank in Erie, Pennsylvania, since 2015. Currently, she is vice chair of the Community Blood Bank. She also understands the importance of the pathologist’s role in educating non-physician health care providers. Throughout her professional career Dr. Eakin has demonstrated involvement and leadership as a professional outside of the sign-out room in both political and community activities. Her role in developing performance measures for pathologists enables pathologists to meaningfully participate in Medicare’s Quality Payment Program and, at the same time, improve patient care. Furthermore, her community service enhances the role of pathologists.

Dr. Eakin is a pathologist at UPMC Hamot with Pathology Associates of Erie, laboratory medical director of point of care testing at UPMC Hamot, and laboratory medical director at UPMC Kane.

Return to 2021 Meritorious Service Awards Honorees