Remembering Gail Wilensky, a true trailblazer in health policy

Gail Wilensky was an American health economist who worked for Republican administrations and candidacies. She passed away at the age of 81 on July 11th 2024.

Wilensky worked for more than 30 years at Project HOPE, a global health and humanitarian organization. She ran Medicare and Medicaid under President George H.W. Bush. She was also part of the Board of Directors of ViewRay, a leading innovator in radiation oncology.

Healthcare professionals all around the US shared their condolences:

David B. Nash (Founding Dean Emeritus at Jefferson College of Population Health):

“We’re very sorry to hear of the passing of Gail Wilensky, a true trailblazer in health policy. We were honored to have Gail speak at the 25th Grandon Lecture at Thomas Jefferson University in 2016, where she spoke of the upcoming election and its impact on the future of healthcare.

Gail knew the landscape like few others, her balanced perspective and depth of experience impressed us all. My condolences to her family, friends & colleagues. May her memory be a blessing.”

Zeke Emanuel (Vice Provost for Global Initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania):

“Gail Wilensky was a giant in health policy. I appreciated her insights and particularly appreciated her integrity. Over 10 years ago, when my role at OMB came under attack, she publicly came to my defense, which took guts in a politicized environment.

Truth was something she was steadfastly committed to – her legacy should serve as a great beacon for all of us in these challenging times.”

Susan Dentze (President and Chief Executive Officer at America’s Physician Groups):

“A moving ceremony honoring the late — and truly iconic — Gail Wilensky took place graveside in Olney, MD, today and I was privileged to be among health policy colleagues and other friends who were part of it.

What a force she was in our field, as her death notice in the Washington Post detailed, and what a tremendous human being! Her children and grandchildren spoke lovingly of her devotion to them.

Her brother noted that when the George H. W. Bush administration offered her the position as administrator of the then-named Health Care Financing Administration, the interviewer had to ask about her party registration (Republican, although in the old-guard-“R” sense of the word).

Gail was intelligent, fair-minded, honest, and kind, even to those of us in the Fourth Estate, as I was at the time, who didn’t always merit the treatment. To paraphrase Shakespeare in Hamlet, we shall not see her like again.”

Marilyn Serafini (Executive Director of the Health Program at Bipartisan Policy Center):

“Gail Wilensky, loved by so many of us in the health care policy community, passed away yesterday evening. Not only did Gail commit her career to making health care better for all Americans, but she was respected on both sides of the aisle.

Most importantly, she was an incredibly kind human being. She was a teacher and mentor to me. I will never forget you, Gail.”

Peter N. Grant (Chair and CEO of Health Care Conference Administrators):

“Gail Wilensky’s Passing

I believe that I met Gail in 1983. Mostly I followed her from afar always with great respect, but she spoke many times at my events. She was excellent, expert, empathetic, generous, honest, and, in our current environment so importantly, a person of integrity. I also thought that she had such an extraordinary classy sense of fashion and style.”

We at oncodaily.com extend our condolences to Gail Wilensky’s friends and family.