Dr. Bernadine Patricia Healy (b. August 4, 1944) is a cardiologist and a former head of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the American Red Cross. She is a senior writer for US News & World Report. Healy is a life-long Republican.
Early years & family
Healy was born in
New York City and was raised on
Long Island. She is the second of four daughters born to Michael J. and Violet (nee McGrath), both second generation Irish Americans and Catholic.
Healy excelled at academics. She was the top student of her high school class at Hunter College High School. Healy then attended Vassar College and graduated summa cum laude with a major in chemistry and a minor in philosophy in 1965. She was only one of ten women out of 120 students in her Harvard Medical School class. In 1970 she graduated with her MD cum laude.
For Healy's post graduate training, she stayed in the Washington, D. C. area. She completed her internship and residency training in cardiology at Johns Hopkins. She then spent two years at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at NIH before starting her professional career back at Johns Hopkins.
Since 1985, Healy has been married to Dr. Floyd D. Loop, a retired cardiac surgeon, and they have a daughter Marie McGrath Loop. Healy has another daughter, Bartlett Anne Bulkley, from her previous marriage to Dr. Gregory B. Bulkley, a surgeon.
Professional life
Healy has maintained patient contact in spite of her administrative duties throughout her career.
Johns Hopkins
Rose to the rank of professor of medicine. Took on many administrative duties including director of the coronary care unit and assistant dean for post-doctoral programs and faculty development.
Government service
Presidential advisor
In
1984, Healy became deputy director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy for the
Reagan administration. She has been serving the administration of
George W. Bush as an advisor on bio-terrorism on the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology since
2001.
NIH
Appointed in
1991 by
President George H. W. Bush to be the first female head of the institutes. Left when another director was appointed after the election of
President Bill Clinton in
1993.
Served as dean of the College and professor of medicine from
1995 to
1999. During her tenure, the college became designated as a national Center of Excellence in Women's Health. Also, a new department of orthopaedics was created along with a planned development of a Musculoskeletal Institute.
Several professors recruited during Healy's tenure and those they in turn recruited lead to the expansion, creation, or revitalization of several programs at the medical school.
- Albert de la Chappelle and Clara Bloomfield helped to expand of the college's programs in cancer research and tumor genetics.
- Robert Michler helped to revitalization of the thoracic surgery and heart transplant programs.
- Pascal Goldschmidt leadership let to the creation of the Heart and Lung Institute.
Appointed as the president and CEO of the organization after
Elizabeth Dole left to pursue political interests in
1999. Announced resignation in October
2001 and retired on
December 31,
2001, amid controversy over the handling of funds for victims of the
September 11, 2001 attacks.
Press
CBS news medical consultant during part of her tenure at the Ohio State University (
1997 to 1999). Healy has written the
On Health for
US News and World Report since
2003.
References
External links
1944 births | American physicians | Living people