Bernadine Healy Papers
Bernadine Healy Papers
Correspondence, subject files, briefing materials, speeches and presentations, published and draft writings, committee meeting minutes, reports, publicity, and audiovisual and photographic materials which chronicle the professional career of cardiologist and health administrator Dr. Bernadine Healy.
A small amount of personal records comprises Series 1, consisting of calendars, family material, and information on Dr. Healy's education, awards and acknowledgements, and personal correspondence. Dr. Healy often received and wrote personal correspondence from her various professional offices. As such, additional personal correspondence may be found mixed within Series 2 through 6.
The NIH Directorship series (Series 2) comprises the bulk of the collection. It consists primarily of correspondence, briefing packets, meeting minutes, reports, and speech materials documenting Dr. Healy's appointment and service as Director of the National Institutes of Health. The series contains information regarding Dr. Healy's role establishing the Women's Health Initiative and drafting the organizations first strategic plan. Other notable topics documented in the correspondence, briefings, and media subseries include the NIH's fetal tissue ban, scientific misconduct, and allegations of sexism at NIH. Briefings, minutes, and notes pertaining to the Human Genome Project, which involved conflict between Dr. Healy and the project's head researcher James D. Watson over gene-patenting, can be found in the briefings and meetings subseries which is organized strictly chronologically. Video recordings of interviews and news stories pertaining to Dr. Healy's role as Director can be found in Series 11 (Audiovisual Materials).
The third series (Cleveland Clinic) contains correspondence, presentations, and reports pertaining to Dr. Healy's role as Chairman of the Cleveland Clinic's Research Institute. While the bulk of the correspondence is arranged alphabetically, Dr. Healy maintained name files on some individuals. These name files contain both correspondence, newspaper clippings, and other related documents related to that person. Because Dr. Healy also served as President of the American Heart Association while at the Cleveland Clinic, there is some overlap, especially in correspondence, between this series and Series 4 (AHA Presidency). The series contains correspondence and annotations from Kathleen J. Vaughn (Kathy), Dr. Healy's secretary, as well as Christine Kassuba, Dr. Healy's editorial assistant. One subseries, grants and funding, is restricted. The phone logs found in the office administration subseries often contain patient names and are restricted according to HMD's PHI policy.
Series 4 (American Red Cross Presidency) contains primarily correspondence, reports, and media related to Dr. Healy's role as President and CEO of the American Red Cross from September 1999 to December 2001. Notable topics addressed are the Red Cross's blood supply policy decisions after outbreaks of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Dr. Healy's support for recognition of the Israeli David Magen Adom disaster response organization, as well as the Red Cross' response to the September 11 attacks and controversy surrounding handling of Liberty Fund donation monies. Video recordings of interviews and news stories pertaining to Dr. Healy's role as President and CEO of the American Red Cross, specifically relating to the blood supply and the response to the September 11 attacks, can be found in Series 11 (Audiovisual Materials).
Series 7 (Professional Activities) contains correspondence, notes, publications, and other documents relating to Dr. Healy's many professional activities and affiliations she held in addition to her major positions. Notable affiliations include the American College of Cardiology, the Harvard Board of Overseers, the Institute of Medicine, the NIH Advisory Committee to the Director, the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Ohio Council on Research and Economic Development, and U.S. News & World Report, among others. The series is organized alphabetically by organization title.
Many of Dr. Healy's speeches and presentations can be found in series nine. The series contains reading copies, drafts, slides, correspondence, and other supporting material for speeches and presentations which she gave over the course of her career. Importantly, speeches given by Dr. Healy at NIH, the Cleveland Clinic, and the American Red Cross can be found in Series 2, Series 3, and Series 4, respectively.
The bulk of Dr. Healy's writings are found in Series 10 (Writings and Publications), which contains reprints, manuscripts and drafts, correspondence, photographs, copyright agreements, and additional supporting documents relating to Dr. Healy's published and unpublished writings. The series is organized into six subseries, the first four of which are based on the publications section of Dr. Healy's CV: Books, Peer-Reviewed Journals, Science and Health Policy Articles, and Book Chapters. The publications list found at the beginning of the series serves as an index to these first four subseries, which are organized chronologically by publication date and numbered as they are in the publications list. The last two subseries, Newspapers and Magazines, and Additional Writings and Drafts, contain copies of articles which Dr. Healy wrote for newspapers and magazines. Especially notable are copies of many of the columns she wrote as U.S. News & World Report's Health Editor. Most of Dr. Healy's earliest writings were published under her first married name: Dr. Bernadine Bulkley.
- Access Restrictions
-
Collection is restricted. Portions of the collection are restricted according to HMD's Access to Health Information of Individuals policy. Contact the Reference Staff for information regarding access. For access to the policy and application form, please visit https://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/manuscripts/phi.pdf.
- Dates
- Creation: 1958-2010
- Extent
- 75.2 Linear Feet (63 boxes)
- Related Names
- Gallo, Robert C.
- Watson, James D., 1928-
- American National Red Cross
- Cleveland Clinic Foundation
- Human Genome Project
- National Institutes of Health (U.S.)
- Women's Health Initiative (U.S.)
- Language of Materials
- English
- Script
- Latn
- Dates
- Creation: 1973-2010
Calendars, 1973-1985
- Dates
- Creation: 1973-1985
Media, 1973-2007
- Dates
- Creation: 1973-2007
Identification Cards, 1974, undated
- Dates
- Creation: 1974, undated
Curriculum Vitae, 1982-1993
- Dates
- Creation: 1982-1993
Biographical Sketches, 1990-1993
- Dates
- Creation: 1990-1993
Photographs [photographs] [negatives] [35mm slides], 1992-2003; undated
- Dates
- Creation: 1992-2003; undated
High School Reunion, 1993
- Dates
- Creation: 1993
Frederick Addison Loop, Quiet Reflections, 2007 Sep 20
- Dates
- Creation: 2007 Sep 20
Archive-It web archive, top results for "Bernadine Healy" Google search conducted by HMD staff
Education and Certifications
Medical Genetics Course, Harvard Medical School, 1966
- Dates
- Creation: 1966
State Medical Board of Ohio Licenses, 1970-2000
- Dates
- Creation: 1970-2000
B.H. Bulkley, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Notebook, 1972
- Dates
- Creation: 1972
State of Maryland Board of Physician Quality Assurance License, 1986-1990
- Dates
- Creation: 1986-1990
Drug Enforcement Administration Registration, 1986-1987, 1993
- Dates
- Creation: 1986-1987, 1993
Continuing Medical Education Certificates and Memberships, 1987-1990
- Dates
- Creation: 1987-1990
Awards and Acknowledgements
American College of Cardiology Scientific Session Medal, 1974 Feb 11-14
- Dates
- Creation: 1974 Feb 11-14
YWCA Career Women of Achievement Award, 1987 May
- Dates
- Creation: 1987 May
Distinguished Scientist Award, Shaw High School, Cleveland, OH, 1989 Apr 12
- Dates
- Creation: 1989 Apr 12
Johns Hopkins University Society of Scholars, 1990 Feb
- Dates
- Creation: 1990 Feb
State of Ohio, Certificate of Appreciation, Ohio Council of Research and Economic Development, 1991 Apr 16
- Dates
- Creation: 1991 Apr 16
Women in Government Relations Clock, 1991 May 08
- Dates
- Creation: 1991 May 08
Certificate of Appreciation, NOVA Pharmaceutical Corporation, 1991 May 21
- Dates
- Creation: 1991 May 21
American College of Cardiology, Distinguished Service Award, 1992 Apr
- Dates
- Creation: 1992 Apr
Charles A. Dana Awards; Distinguished Achievement Award, 1992 Nov
- Dates
- Creation: 1992 Nov
Glamour Magazine Women of the Year, 1992 Nov
- Dates
- Creation: 1992 Nov
Sara Lee Foundation Award, 1992 Nov
- Dates
- Creation: 1992 Nov
Honorary Doctor of Laws, John Carrroll University, 1993 May 23
- Dates
- Creation: 1993 May 23
No Nonsense Woman of the Year Award, 1993 Nov
- Dates
- Creation: 1993 Nov
Ohio Women's Hall of Fame, 1993-1996
- Dates
- Creation: 1993-1996
Honorary Degree Kenyon College, 1994 May 22
- Dates
- Creation: 1994 May 22
Board of Trustees of Hudson Institute Resolution of Gratitude, 1996 Dec 02
- Dates
- Creation: 1996 Dec 02
Democracy in Action Award, 1998 Apr 21
- Dates
- Creation: 1998 Apr 21
National Museum of Women's History, 1998 Sep
- Dates
- Creation: 1998 Sep
Elizabeth Blackwell Medal Award Nomination, 1999
- Dates
- Creation: 1999
National First Ladies Library, Ladies Salute First Women, 2001
- Dates
- Creation: 2001
Women of Washington, Women Who Paved the Way, 2001 Nov 17
- Dates
- Creation: 2001 Nov 17
Citation
Cite Item
Healy, Bernadine. Bernadine Healy Papers. 1958-2010. Located in: Archives and Modern Manuscripts Collection, History of Medicine Division, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD; MS C 624.
Cite Item Description
Healy, Bernadine. Bernadine Healy Papers. 1958-2010. Located in: Archives and Modern Manuscripts Collection, History of Medicine Division, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD; MS C 624. https://findingaids.nlm.nih.gov/repositories/4/resources/922 Accessed July 11, 2025.