Marian J. Cavagnaro, MS, MT(ASCP)DLM received the ASCP 2008 ASCP Member Lifetime Achievement Award on March 1, 2008 at the ASCP Leadership Exchange in San Francisco. The award honors an ASCP laboratory professional member who has demonstrated a commitment to the profession through work, attitude, and Society activities.

A laboratory professional since 1975, Cavagnaro, has been the Director of Laboratory Services at Memorial Hospital, in West Pembroke Pines, FL since 1994.

Within the community hospital, Cavagnaro has been involved with many quality improvement and cost saving initiatives, in addition to the many expansion projects. Cavagnaro was a key leader for the healthcare system’s implementation project to upgrade their Laboratory Information System.

In addition to her responsibilities within the department, she has also served on the hospital's Blood Bank Committee, Hazardous Materials Management Committee, Point of Care Testing Interdisciplinary Team, Laboratory Value Analysis Team, and she has played a big part in employee recognition.

Cavagnaro has been described by her co-workers as “exceptionally capable, deeply committed to the interests of the hospital and laboratory, and passionately concerned with the delivery of the highest quality service possible.”

For the past 20 years, Cavagnaro has brought this same dedication and commitment to the ASCP. From 1997 to 1998 she served as Chair of the ASCP Associate Member Section (AMS) (now known as the Council of Laboratory Professionals).

"I attended my very first ASCP meeting as a recent graduate of Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami Medical Technology program," said Cavagnaro. "A colleague and I drove cross country to attend my first ASCP annual meeting in Los Angeles in 1976. Dr. John B. Miale, at that time the Medical Director of our Medical technology program, was presenting a workshop on platelet aggregation and I donated a tube of blood for the workshop."

For many years, Cavagnaro has presented ASCP Workshops for Laboratory Professionals and served on numerous ASCP committees including the ASCP-AMS Plan and Scope Committee, the ASCP-AMS Program Committee and the ASCP Government Relations Committee, Laboratory Practice Committee, and Membership Committee.

In 2001, Cavagnaro received both the ASCP-AMS Distinguished Service Award and the ASCP-AMS Excellence in Management Award. That same year, she became a member of the Board of Certification (BOC) Board of Governors representing the CLMA. She still holds the position today. She also serves on the ASCP BOC Finance Committee, is Co-Chair for the ASCP BOC Research and Development Committee, and serves on the Editorial Review Board for LABMEDICINE.

"I love ASCP because it truly represents the entire laboratory community," said Cavagnaro. "I love that the ASCP is involved in education, certification, advocacy and now humanitarian efforts on behalf of the patients, public and laboratory profession. I love that I am able to volunteer in all of these efforts and make a contribution to the many issues facing the laboratory profession now and in the future."

Cavagnaro says her most profound personal experience with the ASCP has been her recent trips to Africa in the fight against AIDS. "I have never been so proud to be a laboratory professional and a member of ASCP as I have been providing hematology training to the laboratory professionals of Ethiopia," said Cavagnaro. "We're the perfect organization to carry out this mission."

"Over the last three years my visits to Africa have been truly memorable, beautiful and inspiring," said Cavagnaro, "from visiting orphanages, including an AIDS orphanage, visits to hospitals and being present for the special religious ceremony in Ethiopia; Timkat where I met Pope Paulos of Ethiopia; places like Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania where you are up close and personal with wildlife—especially the “Big 5” (the lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and Cape buffalo); and Lalibela in Ethiopia, where the ancient Eastern Orthodox Rock churches take your breath away."

"My experiences in training in Africa have been truly spiritual and transformational," said Cavagnaro. "It is has been about relationships and hope and encouragement."

In June 2007, Cavagnaro completed requirements and received a Master of Religious Studies. Her thesis project was titled “A Multi-faceted Approach to Support and Capacity Building in Resource-Limited Countries Living with the HIV/AIDS Crisis.”

She is also a Deacon at her church, Sunshine Cathedral in Fort Lauderdale. "As a part of my ministry, I assist with providing a weekly worship service to and Assisted Living Facility." She also provides a weekly spiritual service to a residence that houses HIV/AIDS clients.

"In my career, I have had many mentors and role models," said Cavagnaro. "Teddy [Theodora] Anderson, who was Chief Medical Laboratory Scientist at Jackson Memorial Hospital for over 20 years, taught me what it was to love hematology. Who would have thought that almost 30 years later I would be proving the first hematology training for ASCP in the country of Ethiopia?

"I was also fortunate to have very committed laboratory professionals as mentors. Bette Martin, a founding member of CLMA and Anne Thompson, a former ASCP BOC Chair and AMS Chair, presented workshops in Laboratory Management in the early 1980’s. They were also involved in the formation of the [ASCP] Associate Member Section. I will forever remember Bette's ham and eggs story about the difference of being involved; and being committed. It is said the chicken is involved the pig is committed. For many years, I wore a little gold pig around my neck to remind me."

Cavagnaro is also a Member of the Board of Directors of the non-profit Cooperative Feeding Program in Broward County, a 14-year consultant for Junior Achievement, a participant with Habitat for Humanity, and a baseball fan.

"The Red Sox are my team," she said. "I am a member of the Red Sox Nation. I have a Cal Yastrzemski shirt. Growing up I played softball (first base), so I have always enjoyed baseball. My dad was a super fan also. I even remember the 1967 Impossible Dream Team. Or course, I am also cheering for the New England Patriots."