A letters froman alumnus about John Eisenberg ’68

March 12, 2002

Below is a copy of a letter regarding John Eisenberg '68. It was sent to PAW by Leif Wellington Haase '87, New York, N.Y.:

Dear Academy Members:

We are deeply saddened to inform you that our friend and colleague, John M. Eisenberg, MD, MBA, passed away peacefully at home on Sunday, March 10, 2002, after a long and difficult battle with a brain tumor.

Dr. Eisenberg devoted much of his life to advancing the fields of health services research and health policy. A mentor to many, he was committed to improving the quality of health care and will be remembered for his passionate pursuit of translating research into policy and practice and ensuring an effective two-way dialogue between the research and policy arenas. Since 1997, Dr. Eisenberg served as administrator of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Prior to joining HHS, he was chairman of the department of medicine and physician-in-chief at Georgetown University for five years.

Dr. Eisenberg served as president of the Association for Health Services Research from 1991 to 1992. In January 2002, he received the first Academy Chair Award at the National Health Policy Conference for his lifelong contributions to the fields of health services research and health policy. Some of Dr. Eisenberg's many accomplishments are noted in an obituary that appeared in the Washington Post on Monday, March 11, 2002, which can be found on the internet at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/metro/obituaries/archive/A5857-2002Mar1 0.html

The funeral will be in Memphis, Tennessee on Wednesday March 13 at 2:30 p.m., Temple Israel Cemetery. A memorial service will be held Sunday, March 17th, at 2:30 p.m., Washington Hebrew Congregation, 3935 Macomb St., NW, in Washington, DC.

Condolences may be sent to Dr. Eisenberg's family at JEFamily@ahrq.gov. AHRQ staff will collect the messages and forward them to the family. The family requests any contributions be made to the Dr. John M. Eisenberg Healthcare Fund of the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region, 1112 16th Street, NW, Suite 340, Washington, DC 20036. The fund will support healthcare initiatives for research, education, service, and policy.

On behalf of all of us here at the Academy, Dr. Eisenberg will be sorely missed. His legacy and his spirit will continue to influence our work.

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