Donald F. Lavanty, chair of Marymount University’s Department of Health Care Management and Legal Administration, received the Distinguished Achievement Award from the American College of Radiation at its convocation on May 17.
The award, presented for the first time, honors notable service to the college and the radiology profession. Lavanty, who has served as ACR’s principal legislative consultant for 42 years, has been instrumental in significant legislative efforts, including negotiating and rallying for radiology within Medicare’s resource-based relative value scale and enacting the Mammography Quality Standards Act.
At Marymount, he teaches undergraduate paralegal courses and graduate-level legal administration as well as health care management and policy. He’s known for playing the devil’s advocate to stimulate classroom debate.
Lavanty earned both his bachelor’s and law degrees from George Washington University and served in the United States Marine Corp.
He said winning the award was the highest honor he has ever received, though he insisted that the award truly belongs to the ACR leadership.
“I’m not good at taking compliments, and this is just overwhelming,” he said. “I am just humbly grateful.”
