The Allegheny County Medical Society (ACMS) Foundation will award Alfred
P. Doyle, M.D. with its prestigious Richard E. Deitrick Humanity in Medicine Award
at its annual Gala Awards Celebration, which will be held March 8, 2014 at the Omni
William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh.
The Richard E. Deitrick Humanity
in Medicine Award honors a physician who has improved the lives of patients by caring
for them with integrity, honesty, and respect of their human dignity, and serves
as a role model for other physicians.
Dr. Doyle graduated from
Princeton University in 1950 and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
in 1954, and then completed a residency program at Bellevue Hospital in New York
City. Following military service, he came to the VA Hospital in Oakland, PA.
From there he moved to Sewickley and began practice in Internal Medicine in
the mid 1960's at the then “Sewickley Valley Hospital” and other
regional facilities. He completed his specialty boards in Hematology and Oncology
in the early 1970's and practiced in those specialties for forty years.
"I've
always thought of myself as a ‘foot soldier’ in the ranks of many far
more distinguished colleagues, and this nomination to receive the Richard E. Deitrick
Award came as an amazing and wonderful surprise,” said Dr. Doyle. “Reading
about Dr. Deitrick's pleasure in sharing extended time with his patients while
engaged in a busy OB-GYN practice, and while serving the community in valued diverse
functions, including Presidency of the Allegheny County Medical Society, elicits
high esteem and respect."
Dr. Daniel Brooks,
Vice President of Community Health Services at Heritage Valley Health System, adds,
“Dr. Doyle has a voracious approach to maintaining and applying current knowledge
in clinical practice and has a lifelong commitment to evidence-based, research-supported
medical oncology care. He is the standard bearer for the objective, relentless
pursuit of clinical quality.”
Dr. Doyle’s award from the
Allegheny County Medical Society is the fourth award in the last five years presented
to a Heritage Valley Sewickley affiliated physician. Earlier this year, Dr.
Dan Brooks, Heritage Valley Vice President of Community Health Services, won the
2013 Richard E. Deitrick Humanity in Medicine Award. In 2011, Otolaryngologist
Dr. John Straka received the Ralph C. Wilde Award and in 2010, Heritage Valley Medical
Group primary care physician Dr. Marc Schneiderman won the Nathaniel Bedford Primary
Care Physician Award.
Dr. Doyle adds, "Receiving this recognition
reminds me of those who have been important in my journey as a physician. I
wish to express gratitude for my association with Dr. John Shoener, beginning in
1964, and my admiration for his personality and professional competence which in
subsequent years attracted many key physicians to join the Heritage Valley Sewickley
staff. Secondly, Dr. Reginald Pugh, who along with Marmee Maylone, DNP, was
of great help in the initial establishment of our oncology practice at Heritage
Valley Sewickley. I also think about my colleague, Dr. Michael Sherry, and
his 1994 book, Confronting Cancer: How to Care for Today and Tomorrow, which allows
one to enter into the perspective of the patient, to sense their wounded humanity.
Finally, I appreciate Dr. Edward Balaban's compassionate guidance of our
Hospice program and Dr. Azizeh Djafari and her expert staff’s prompt and accurate
pathology reports that are essential to appropriate decisions in oncology. All
of these individuals have helped shape my career and for that I am extremely grateful.”