Anne Scitovsky Obituary

Anne A. Scitovsky Health Economist Died at age 96 years, peacefully in her home with family members around her, on January 16, 2012. Born in Ludwigshafen, Germany in 1915, Anne, along with her family, moved to this country in 1930 when she was 15 years old. She originally planned to become a physician before switching to economics. Anne completed her Masters in Economics at Colombia University in 1941. Through the 50's and early 60's she was a homemaker and mother raising her daughter, Catherine Eliaser. Anne went back to work in 1963 when she was invited to join the staff of the Palo Alto Medical Research Foundation to develop a research program on the economics of medical care. Anne stayed with the research foundation for over 30 years, conducting various studies in the field of health economics, helping to identify major areas of medical cost increases from general medical expenses through the costs incurred during the last year of life of both the elderly and persons with Aids. She is nationally recognized for her careful patient-by-patient analysis of cost and treatment patterns, decisions points and long term trends. Anne's research has impacted both public and private health care policies. Anne was a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, a member of the President's Commission on Ethical Problems in Medicine during the Carter administration, on the faculty of UCSF Institute for Health Policy Studies headed by Philip R. Lee, M.D. and served on many national committees on medical care costs. Anne loved learning. She was an avid reader and conversationalist, enjoying art, music, and traveling the world. She was blessed with many wonderful friendships throughout her long life. Anne is survived by her daughter Catherine Eliaser and son-in-law Peter Eliaser of Marin Co., grandson, Nicholas Visse of Santa Clara, step-grandson, Jason Eliaser of San Diego and nephews Peter and Michael Hambro of Norway. A celebration of her life will be held in early summer of this year.

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Published by San Francisco Chronicle from Feb. 6 to Feb. 12, 2012.

Memories and Condolences
for Anne Scitovsky

2 Entries

Elaine Warren

February 24, 2012

I knew Anne in the 1960's as mother to my close high school friend, Cathie. The three of us traveled together to Europe in 1967. She stood out from the other cookies-and-milk mothers in our group--so cerebral and intense, edgy-witty, European cultured, as well as warm an charming--and a wonderful, devoted mother. She introduced me to certain things that still have meaning to me--the pleasure of lentils and macaroni, the defiance of conventional etiquette by always writing her personal letters and notes on a typerwriter instead of by hand, and the guilt-free splendors of taking luxury vacations to such places as the French Riviera and California's Carmel Valley. Her daughter and I used to "borrow" her ever-present Kent cigarettes and secretly smoke them late at night after Anne had gone to bed, and devour her special Berkeley bakery egg bread with European unsalted butter. She taught her daughter to drive a car with her usual intense vigilance and concern for Cathie's safety. She was an exceptionally accomplished woman who achieved significant, lasting impact in her professional life, and I will always treasure my personal, fond memories of her during my formative teenage years.

February 19, 2012

Ann, the shining light of the Research Institute. That brilliant, intense, thoughtful mind and smiling, twinkling-eyed face would peer around the door of my office always with the same question --- "Can I ask you a question". immediately that would cause me serious concern since I rarely knew the answers to her questions nor did i have sufficient knowledge on the subjects of her queries. i did not know if they were going to be about the economic future of Health Care, about AIDS or about one of the myriad other subjects that Ann's brain could juggle with ease. Sometimes I was able to answer in a timely manner but most of the time it would take me an hour or more of computer searches and telephone calls around the country to try to find the appropriate authority(s) for her to speak with-- especially when the question had to do with the economics of about AIDS; other of her questions were so searching, global and economic in nature that I did not even understand the subjects. But I always looked forward to that smiling face, and kind personality, to that woman who cared so much about others and who worked so hard to identify facts and find truth in her field of research. Her notoriety,works and honors speak for themselves. We were so blessed to have her among us.
Jack Remington

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