Dr. Eric Wargotz, LC’78, Is Honored for His Public Service by the College of American Pathologists

BALTIMORE, Md. – October 6, 2026 — MedChi, The Maryland State Medical Society, proudly announces that President Dr. Eric Wargotz has been honored with the prestigious Public Service Award by the College of American Pathologists (CAP).

Dr. Wargotz is an alumnus of Rutgers University’s Livingston College (Class of 1978), where he majored in biology. He earned his medical degree from The Ohio State University College of Medicine.

The national award, which was established in honor of Frank C. Coleman, MD, FCAP, is the CAP’s highest recognition for outstanding dedication to political, civic, and public service.

Dr. Wargotz is recognized for his extensive leadership across public health, judicial, and legislative landscapes. His distinguished career spans multiple spheres of public service, including his previous tenure as the elected President of the Queen Anne’s County Board of Commissioners, his role as a U.S. Senate nominee, and his longtime leadership as an Orphans’ Court Judge and as the 178th president of MedChi. (Dr. Wargotz has announced that he will retire from the Orphans’ Court in November 2026.)

“Dr. Wargotz’s tireless dedication to both his patients and his community truly exemplifies the intersection of medical excellence and civic duty,” said Gene Ransom, CEO of MedChi. “His unique perspective as a physician leader, a local official, and a jurist has enriched healthcare advocacy in Maryland and sets a high bar for public service nationwide.”

“As a fellow leader within MedChi, I have witnessed firsthand Dr. Wargotz’s unwavering commitment to the medical profession and public health,” said Dr. Padmini Ranasinghe, Immediate Past President of MedChi. “This honor reflects his decades of advocacy on both the local and national stage, embodying the very legacy that the Frank C. Coleman Award was established to celebrate.”

The CAP established the Public Service Award in 1989 to honor the memory and work of its sixth president, Dr. Frank C. Coleman. The award is presented to individuals who exemplify exceptional citizenship and leadership.

“Dr. Wargotz’s path serves as an inspiration for the next generation of physicians,” added Dr. Jim Williams, President-Elect of MedChi. “He proves that a physician’s voice is vital not only in the laboratory and clinic, but also in the public square and legislative chambers where healthcare policy is forged.”

Supporting his civic and judicial leadership is a deep foundation of decades of clinical expertise and medical education. He currently serves as a senior staff pathologist and is the immediate past chief of pathology and medical laboratory director at Luminis Health-Doctors Community Medical Center in Lanham, Maryland.

Additionally, he holds the distinction of Clinical Professor Emeritus for the George Washington University Department of Pathology.

“Joining the past recipients of the Frank C. Coleman Award is a tremendous honor,” said Dr. Wargotz. “As physicians, as pathologists, our responsibility to protect human life naturally extends beyond the laboratory and clinic into public policy and our local communities. I am deeply grateful to the CAP for this recognition, which truly reflects the shared efforts of the medical colleagues and community members I have been privileged to work alongside.

MedChi, The Maryland State Medical Society, is a nonprofit membership association of Maryland physicians. Formed in 1799, it remains the largest physician organization in Maryland. The mission of MedChi is to serve as Maryland’s foremost advocate and resource for physicians, their patients, and Maryland’s public health.