ASH Exemplary Service Award for Shirley Levine #ASH09

The American Society of Hematology (ASH), the world’s largest professional society of blood specialists, will recognize Shirley Parker Levine, MD, with the 2009 Exemplary Service Award for her outstanding service to ASH as the chair of the Teaching Cases Subcommittee. Established in 1998, this award recognizes an individual whose exemplary service, extending over a period of years, has significantly advanced the interests of the Society.

Working with the Committee on Educational Affairs, Dr. Levine has been the strongest advocate for the ASH Teaching Cases, which are interactive, online case studies designed to teach medical students how to diagnose a variety of blood diseases.  Users are able to hone their skills on “virtual” patients by walking though the steps necessary to arrive at a diagnosis, such as taking a medical history, performing a physical exam, and ordering and interpreting laboratory tests. The case studies also allow students to follow the clinical course of the disease for each patient.

Over the last three years, Dr. Levine took the lead in identifying Society members who were willing to review and update the existing cases and develop new cases on the topics identified by the group. She also worked closely with staff and a consultant to ensure that all the cases were appropriate for students, useful as an introduction to a variety of hematologic disorders, and internally consistent. The teaching cases are consistently one of the most visited areas of the Society’s Web site, www.hematology.org.

Dr. Levine will be stepping down as chair at the end of this year. She recently retired from her position at Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University, where she was the associate chair for undergraduate education in the Department of Medicine. ASH thanks Dr. Levine for her many years of dedicated service.

The Exemplary Service Award will be announced in conjunction with the Society’s 51st Annual Meeting in New Orleans, LA.