Annual Leadership Award
2007 Recipient
Dr. Robert F. Ritchie
The physician and scientist known as the “father” of Maine’s biotechnology industry---Dr. Robert F. Ritchie--- is the 2007 recipient of the Hanley Leadership Award. Dr. Ritchie is recognized for his pioneering scientific achievements as well as his collaborative leadership in developing clinical laboratory tests and standards around the globe.
The 5th Annual Hanley Leadership Award was presented to Dr. Ritchie at the statewide Leadership in Action Award Dinner co-sponsored by the Hanley Center and the Institute for Civic Leadership on, November 5, 2007 at the Marriott in South Portland. Nationally-known health futurist Jeff Goldsmith keynotedthe dinner. A statewide audience of more than 400 attended the event.
A resident of Freeport, Dr. Ritchie founded the Foundation for Blood Research in the early 1970’s. FBR became one of Maine’s first independent, nonprofit medical research and education institutes. The Foundation is dedicated to identifying, managing and preventing human disease through clinical and laboratory investigation. Under Dr. Ritchie’s leadership, FBR has amassed one of the world’s largest clinical databases of serum protein results---a critical resource for researchers and healthcare providers as they seek cures for---and treat---a wide range of diseases. Nearly four decades ago Dr. Ritchie developed a laboratory method for measuring serum proteins that revolutionized one aspect of laboratory practice worldwide. The method allowed the major serum proteins to be measured more rapidly and reliably than with conventional methods and led to the expanded use of such measurements for clinical diagnostic purposes. Recognizing the need for standardizing the interpretation of the laboratory measurements, Dr. Ritchie became a pioneer in the use of computer-assisted management of laboratory results.
Dr. Ritchie also founded Atlantic Antibodies, a for profit subsidiary of FBR that grew to become a large international manufacturers of high quality laboratory reagents. Most recently, he has spearheaded the Maine Arthritis Partnership, a unique project aimed at improving care for Maine’s aging population.
The Hanley Leadership Award is named for the late Daniel Hanley, M.D., a highly respected physician leader who earned an international reputation for his courage, innovation and collaboration. Dr. Hanley headed the Maine Medical Association for 24 years, was the physician at Bowdoin College for more than three decades and was physician to the U.S. Olympic Committee. Hanley founded the Maine Medical Assessment Foundation and was a pioneer in the use of data to improve the quality of medical care and outcomes. In the late 1980s he worked closely with Senator George Mitchell on legislation that established the federal Agency for Health Research and Quality (AHRQ). The Hanley Center for Health Leadership was established in 2002 to carry on Dr. Hanley’s legacy of leadership.
A native of New York City who began practicing medicine in Maine in the early 1960’s, Dr. Ritchie has held numerous roles with the World Health Organization, the Food and Drug Administration and the International Federation of Clinical Chemists. He is credited for his leadership in securing agreements from many European nations and other countries throughout the world to use standardized testing and reporting of clinical laboratory results. This enormously complex, multi-year initiative has led to improvements in the quality of patient care and important cost- and time saving. Closer to home, Dr. Ritchie oversaw the development of a number of innovative medical and environmental education partnerships between the Foundation for Blood Research and Maine schools and universities. Three of these programs---BioMedWorks, EcoScienceWorks and ScienceWorks---are aimed at encouraging more young Mainers to pursue careers in medicine and science.
Previous winners of the Hanley Leadership Award include Stephen Shannon, D.O., (then) Dean of the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (2003); nationally known medical researcher John Wennberg, M..D. of Dartmouth (2004); Franklin County clinicians Sandra Record, R.N. and Burgess Record, M..D. (2005); and Ann Gahagan, a Caribou family nurse practitioner and expert in the field of diabetes treatment and prevention (2006).
Stephen Shannon, D.O. (2003)
John Wennberg, M.D. (2004)
Sandra Record, R.N. & Burgess Record, M.D. (2005)
Ann C. Gahagan (2006)