WesternU CDM’s Dr. Mark Mintline recognized as “Doctor of the Year” by the International Pemphigus & Pemphigoid Foundation

Dr. Mark Mintline receives the Doctor of the Year Award from the International Pemphigus & Pemphigoid Foundation. Image courtesy of Mrs. Diane Mintline.

Western University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine Associate Professor Mark Mintline, DDS, is the recipient of the 2024 International Pemphigus & Pemphigoid Foundation (IPPF) Doctor of the Year Award.

The IPPF Doctor of the Year Award recognizes a health care professional or researcher whose recent work has shown an exceptional dedication to people living with pemphigus and pemphigoid. Dr. Mintline is the Principal Investigator of the Biopsies Save Lives program and has worked to help close the health equity gap in diagnosing pemphigus and pemphigoid in Southern California.

Biopsies Save Lives is a multidisciplinary and patient-centered care program developed by Western University of Health Sciences (WesternU), the University of California - Irvine (UCI) Health Dermatology Department, and the IPPF, which offers free or low-cost diagnostic testing services for patients with pemphigus and pemphigoid to under-resourced communities across Southern California.

"The Doctor of the Year Award represents the wonderful community of doctors who provide hope in times of worry and guidance along the diagnostic journey," said IPPF Outreach Director Becky Strong. "Dr. Mintline has not only provided top-tier clinical care to patients but has also taken significant steps to ensure that lifesaving diagnostic services are accessible to underserved communities."

Biopsies Save Lives aims to accelerate diagnosis times, save patient lives, and eliminate barriers in the diagnostic and treatment pathways of pemphigus and pemphigoid. The program focuses on improving access to diagnostic laboratory testing services for low-income, uninsured, and underinsured people with erosive and blistering diseases. The program also provides education and training for the delivery of oral diagnostic services to people with chronic autoimmune blistering diseases. With support from Quest Diagnostics - which provides no-cost testing through the Quest for Health Equity (Q4HE) initiative - and the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation, Biopsies Save Lives provides free or low-cost consultations, intraoral biopsies, routine anatomic pathology testing services, direct immunofluorescence, and serum testing for under-resourced patients with erosive and blistering diseases.

Southern California health care providers are able to refer patients to WesternU Health for biopsies and serum testing without worrying about the cost of laboratory testing.

"I have been in practice for over 40 years, and I have never seen a more successful effort to help patients and physicians along the diagnostic journey," said UCI Health Immunobullous Clinic Director and Distinguished Professor Sergei A. Grando, MD, PhD, DSc.

Pemphigus and pemphigoid are rare, ultra-orphan, autoimmune, blistering diseases that result in potentially life-threatening destruction of the skin and mucosa. The patient's immune system makes antibodies, and they attack healthy cells in the skin or mucous membranes. As a result, skin cells separate from each other, fluid collects between skin layers and blisters form. Blisters and ulcerations may cover a large area of skin or mucosa. These diseases result in fragile, extremely tender lesions that will not go away without proper treatment.

Patients often find it difficult to find a doctor who has seen or treated pemphigus or pemphigoid, making the journey to a correct diagnosis exceptionally challenging. Once diagnosed, patients meet with their doctor and make informed health care decisions about their treatment options and ways to manage their chronic disease.

"The IPPF is honored to work with Dr. Mintline on this visionary program," Strong said. Dr. Mintline is a board-certified oral and maxillofacial pathologist. At WesternU, he serves as the Laboratory Director of the WesternU Health Oral Pathology Laboratory and a Co-Coordinator of the Advanced Oral Diagnosis Workgroup. WesternU Health Oral Pathology Laboratory is one of two specialty oral pathology laboratories in the United States to achieve accreditation from the College of American Pathologists (CAP).

"The successes of the Biopsies Save Lives program are the successes of a multidisciplinary team of medical and dental clinicians, patient advocates, patients, and laboratory professionals, from WesternU, UCI Health Dermatology, the IPPF, and Quest Diagnostics." Dr. Mintline said.

"We are proud to help support the work of Dr. Mintline and his team by providing access to lab testing so that uninsured and underinsured patients in Southern California suffering from these rare autoimmune diseases can get the care they need," said Cynita Smith-Watson, Senior Manager, Regional Contracting, Q4HE. "This award exemplifies his tireless efforts to break down some of the barriers to health care access that these patients experience."

"The award reflects Dr. Mintline's commitment to improving the lives of people living with pemphigus and pemphigoid, his outstanding leadership skills in clinical practice, and dedication to patient education," said WesternU College of Dental Medicine Dean Elizabeth Andrews, DDS, MS.

"I'm very grateful to work with supportive and talented colleagues across multiple institutions, and I am humbled to help patients and families accelerate diagnosis times," said Dr. Mintline.

Dr. Mintline received the prestigious Doctor of the Year Award on Oct. 26 at the 2024 IPPF Patient Education Conference in Newport Beach, California. The event marked the IPPF's 30th anniversary and the first in-person patient conference since the pandemic. The conference celebrated 30 years of hope and allowed attendees to meet others living with pemphigus and pemphigoid, interact with IPPF Peer Coaches and medical advisors, and speak directly with disease experts.

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