President's Welcome
It is an honor to serve as your 2025 NAME President. This year marks exactly 20 years since my forensic pathology fellowship training. It has been an amazing journey and I am grateful to all of my forensic pathology mentors, friends, and colleagues. The priorities of our organization are outlined in our Strategic Plan and will continue to guide our activities in the coming year: According to our Workforce Development Subcommittee and Ad hoc Data Committee, we have approximately 850 practicing forensic pathologists in the United States. While our numbers show a slow increase over the last few years, it is not nearly enough to meet the needs of our growing population. NAME must be the leader in outreach and education in forensic pathology, through our website, social media, and virtual activities. We need to also find opportunities for forensic pathologists to engage with their local colleges and medical schools. NAME stands firm in our position that performance of the forensic autopsy is the practice of medicine. Topics such as fentanyl overdoses, in-custody deaths, and reproductive rights drive proposed legislation that threaten to encroach on the practice and independence of medical examiners. Multiple pathology organizations including the CAP, ASCP, and USCAP have stood in support of NAME and our profession. Thanks in part to the efforts of Dr. Michelle Jordan, our 2025 Vice President, in 2024 the American Medical Association approved a policy supporting the independence of the forensic pathologist. Under the direction of Dr. Keith Pinckard, the 2024 Annual Meeting was the first NAME meeting to go to a hybrid model. By all metrics, this meeting was an overwhelming success and will become the new standard going forward. Having achieved that goal, we now look toward improving our website over the next few years as one of many steps in our Strategic Plan. I want to thank all of the NAME members who dedicate their time to our organization. I look forward to working with all of you in 2025! Sincerely, Reade A. Quinton, MD NAME President 2025 |
