[Letters from Kathryn A. Straw and Marcia G. Phillips to the BRAC - Page: 1 of 2

View a full description of this letter.

DCN: 7237

ik.A.( . 'V(1n g ion
August 10, 2005 AUG 1r Z
The Honorable Anthony J. Principi Meceived
Chairman
Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC)
2521 South Clark Street, Suite 600
Arlington, VA 22202
Dear Chairman Principi,
I am writing to urge the BRAC to remove the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) from the
list of military facilities slated for closure. The AFIP is an irreplaceable resource for disease
research and patient care. This exceptional institution not only provides outstanding service to our
nation's military community, but also contributes significant knowledge and education to the
broader medical field's understanding of human disease.
The AFIP tissue repository is a valuable national treasure that must remain accessible to
researchers and experts in laboratory medicine. The AFIP's collection of specimens has helped
medical professionals understand, develop vaccines and treatments for, and sometimes cure,
often-fatal diseases. Access to both archived material as well as newly acquired specimens must
be preserved.
Each year the AFIP issues hundreds of thousands of hours in continuing medical education to a
diverse group of medical professionals that specialize in pathology, forensics, radiology,
emerging infectious disease, renal disease, ophthalmology, and urology. In fact, over 7,400
medical and other health professionals alone were educated and trained in 2004 through a
variety of AFIP-sponsored venues including live courses, seminars and Internet courses.
The AFIP's leadership in the area of education and training advances the knowledge base and
ensures the competence of thousands of medical professionals. It would be a major loss to both
military and civilian medicine, especially at this time, if AFIP's consultative services were
discontinued.
Should the AFIP be forced to close, our nation would lose a valuable resource that plays a key
role in the advancement of medicine and contributes knowledge to improve the health of our
nation's citizens. First, I respectfully request, that the BRAC eliminate its recommendation to
dismantle the AFIP. Second, I urge the BRAC to ensure that the integrity of the tissue repository
is preserved.
Thank you for your kind consideration.
Sincerely,
Ic-k, QrjiY~

Kathryn A. Straw

Upcoming Pages

Here’s what’s next.

upcoming item: 2 2 of 2

Show all pages in this letter.

This letter can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.

Tools / Downloads

Get a copy of this page .

Citing and Sharing

Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.

Reference the current page of this Letter.

Straw, Kathryn A. & Phillips, Marcia G. [Letters from Kathryn A. Straw and Marcia G. Phillips to the BRAC -, letter, August 8, 2005; (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc20533/m1/1/ocr/: accessed March 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.

Univesal Viewer

International Image Interoperability Framework (This Page)

Back to Top of Screen