RALEIGH (APRIL 15, 2015) – Dr. Robert Schaaf, who served as president and managing partner of Wake Radiology for 27 years, was presented with The Order of the Long Leaf Pine at a special event on Monday, April 13. It is one of the highest honors the Governor of North Carolina can bestow.
Bob Seligson, executive vice president of the N.C. Medical Society, presented the award to Dr. Schaaf on behalf of Gov. Pat McCrory. Schaaf, who will retire in June, was recognized for his outstanding service to the state’s medical community.
A board certified radiologist, Dr. Schaaf has served on the N.C. Medical Society’s board of directors since 2004 and currently serves as president of the organization. He has served on the board of Directors of Medical Mutual Insurance Company, the largest insurer of physicians in North Carolina, since 1998 and was elected vice chairman in 2005.
“It’s a great honor to present The Order of the Long Leaf Pine to one of our state’s most dedicated and accomplished physicians,” Seligson said. “His record of service and commitment to the state’s medical community over the past 35 years makes him well qualified to receive such an honor.”
The Order of the Long Leaf Pine was established in 1963 by Gov. Terry Sanford to honor people who have demonstrated a lifetime of service to the State of North Carolina. It confirms upon the recipient “…the rank of Ambassador Extraordinary privileged to enjoy fully all rights granted to members of this exalted order among which is the special privilege to propose the following North Carolina Toast in select company anywhere in the free world:
“Here’s to the land of the long leaf pine,
The summer land where the sun doth shine,
Where the weak grow strong and the strong grow great,
Here’s to “down home,” the Old North State!”
Dr. Schaaf came to North Carolina in 1976 following graduation from Tufts University Medical School in Boston, for a combined internship and residency in diagnostic radiology at Duke University Medical Center. He went on to serve as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Radiology at the Duke University Medical Center (1980-1990) and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1980-1992).
He joined Wake Radiology in 1980 and was named president and managing partner in 1986.
In addition, he served as chairman of WakeMed’s radiology department (1981-1984) and chairman of the radiology department at Franklin Regional Medical Center (1984-1996).
In April 2004, NC Governor Mike Easley appointed Dr. Schaaf to serve on the NC Medical Care Commission, which oversees regulation of the state’s hospitals and health care facilities. He continues to serve on the commission today.
Dr. Schaaf is a Fellow and member of the American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America, American Society of Neuroradiology, American Roentgen Ray Society, American Medical Association, North Carolina Medical Society, and the Wake County Medical Society. He was appointed to the Wake Forest University Law School Board of Visitors in 2012
Business Leader Magazine named Dr. Schaaf as its Medical Business Leader of the Year in 2012.
About Wake Radiology
Founded in 1953, Wake Radiology is the Triangle’s leading provider of outpatient medical imaging. Its physicians have been trained as experts in specific imaging specialties – ranging from breast cancer detection and pediatrics to sports imaging and neuroradiology (brain and spine) – to accurately diagnose healthcare issues. Another hallmark of Wake Radiology is its commitment to low-dose imaging and the elimination of unnecessary or duplicate exams. This approach strives to improve patient outcomes and reduces the overall cost of healthcare.
Wake Radiology is the region’s largest outpatient imaging practice with nearly 50 radiologists who perform close to 600,000 procedures each year. It has 20 outpatient locations and provides imaging services at several area hospitals, including WakeMed Health and Hospitals, Maria Parham Medical Center and Franklin Medical Center. It is the first outpatient imaging provider in the Triangle to earn the American College of Radiology’s prestigious Breast Imaging Center of Excellence designation. Wake Radiology is an independent, locally owned and physician-led practice that actively supports the local community. Learn more at www.wakerad.com.