Founder, Harold P. Freeman Patient Navigation Institute
The father of patient navigation systems
Acceptance Speech
Harold P. Freeman, MD, is chairman emeritus and founder of the Ralph
Lauren Center for Cancer Care and Prevention, and professor emeritus
of surgery at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
His work and accomplishments include:
Past chairman of the US President´s Cancer Panel
Past national president of the American Cancer Society
Chief architect of the American Cancer Society´s “Initiative on
Cancer in the Poor”
Author of the Report to the Nation on Cancer in the Poor, which
demonstrated the barriers that underserved populations often face
in the healthcare system
Pioneered the Patient Navigation Program, which addresses disparities
in access to diagnosis and treatment, particularly among poor
and uninsured individuals
The Patient Navigator, Outreach, and Chronic Disease Prevention Act
was based on the Freeman Patient Navigation model and signed into
law by President Bush in June 2005
Recipient of numerous awards, including the Mary Lasker Award for
Public Service, the American Cancer Society´s Medal of Honor, the
CDC Foundation´s Champion of Prevention Award, the Breast Cancer
Research Foundation´s Jill Rose Award, the American Society of
Clinical Oncology´s Special Recognition Award, the Avon Breast Cancer
National Leadership Award, and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer
National Foundatio´s Betty Ford Award