UMMC physicians receive ACS awards

Two Medical Center physicians have been honored by the American Cancer Society for partnering with the nonprofit in preventing and detecting cancer.

Dr. Pierre de Delva, associate professor in the Department of Surgery, is the ACS South Region 2021 Cancer Control Partner of the Year. Dr. William Robinson, professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, is the 2021 Get Screened Champion of the Year. They were honored Dec. 10 at the ACS’ Volunteer Awards Luncheon in Jackson.

Robinson heads the UMMC Cancer Center and Research Institute Interdisciplinary Gynecologic Oncology team and the CCRI clinical trials program while de Delva heads the CCRI Interdisciplinary Thoracic oncology team.

“Without your dedication and determination, I doubt that our lung cancer biomarker testing ECHO pilot would have been such a success,” Beth Dickson-Gavney, the South Region’s senior director of cancer control strategic partnerships, told de Delva in a letter notifying him of the honor.

“You and UMMC may never know how many lives you have touched and saved because of your tireless servant leadership during the pandemic,” Dickson-Garvey told Robinson in his notification letter. “We are so incredibly humbled by your spirit and your tenacity to ensure that Mississippians have access to and the information they need to get quality and timely cancer screenings.”

All volunteers honored were recognized for making an impact on cancer across Mississippi.