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Richard Egdahl Obituary

Richard H. Egdahl

Naples, FL

Dr. Richard Egdahl, of Naples, FL, formerly of Boston, MA, passed away on April 30, 2016. He was born in Eau Claire, WI in 1926, the only son of a dentist and school teacher. He attended Dartmouth College where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1950. From 1951-53 Dr. Egdahl served in the Navy, first as chief medical officer on the USS Laertes in the Korean War. He then joined the staff of the Naval Medical Research Institute in Bethesda, MD, focusing on adrenal and transplant research.

After completing his surgical training and Ph.D. in physiology at the University of Minnesota, Dr. Egdahl became director of the surgical research labs at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond. His research contributions on the hormonal response to injury were honored in 1962 when he became the first surgeon to win the Endocrine Society's CIBA Award at the age of thirty six, hailed by the Society as a "gifted experimentalist."

In 1964 he became the Chairman and Professor of Surgery at Boston University and began his career in medical administration. When he became Academic Vice President in 1973, a position he held for 24 years, he had management responsibility for the Schools of Medicine, Dental Medicine, Public Health, Allied Health, Social Work, and Nursing (until it closed in 1987). He also served as Director of the Boston University Medical Center.

Dr. Egdahl was a pioneer in the health policy arena and in 1973 he founded the Health Policy Institute at Boston University, a nationally focused think tank that brought together medical, government, and business leaders to create new strategies for improving the health care system. He was best known for his leadership role in making the costs and quality of medical practice a central focus of the health care system. In addition to authoring over 300 publications in basic science, clinical practice, management, and health policy, he also was a revered teacher and mentor to students and young physicians. His interests in health care information systems led to the creation of several businesses and Boston University recognized his work by naming him the first Alexander Graham Bell Professor of Health Care Entrepreneurship, a position he held until his retirement in 2010.

Dr. Egdahl served on many boards including the Pioneer Family of Mutual Funds and Essex Investment Management. He was a member of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and served on the editorial board of The New England Journal of Medicine (1980-93).

Dr. Egdahl is survived by his wife of thirty-three years, Cynthia Taft of Naples, FL; and four children from a previous marriage to the late Yvonne Egdahl: Scott Egdahl and David Egdahl of Boston; Bruce Egdahl of Boynton Beach, FL; and Julie Egdahl of Santa Cruz, CA. He also leaves four grandchildren, Allison, Brian, Eric, and Lauren Egdahl.

Published by Naples Daily News on May 6, 2016.
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Dear Cynthia and family,I am so sorry for your great loss, praying for comfort and peace for all you, fred DePino-resident services at the Glenview.

May 13, 2016

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