Michael Robin Flick MD,JD
February 26, 1946 - January 3, 2024
Michael Robin Flick passed peacefully January 3rd with his life partner, Bob Bush, at his side. Michael was born February 26, 1946 in Washington, DC, moving to Falls Church, Virginia at age five and then Mexico City, where his father's work took him. There he attended Colégio Americano (American High School).
Michael attended Duke University (1964–1968) and The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine receiving his M.D. in 1972. He continued his medical training at the University of Florida, Gainsville, Florida, specializing in pulmonary medicine 1972–1977. In 1976, his son, Andy, of whom he was most proud, was born.
In 1977, Michael moved to San Francisco to be a Research Fellow with Norman Staub in the Cardiovascular Research Institute and Dept. of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco. There he began his research into lung injury and ARDS (adult respiratory distress syndrome), canulating the Thoracic Duct in sheep to measure lymph flow to assess the effect of various agents injuring the lung, looking for the mechanism of injury, and how to protect the lung.
After one year on the medical faculty at State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, Long Island, New York, Michael joined the UCSF Pulmonary Faculty at SFGH with John Murray. He continued his research in sheep as well as looking at COPD. Michael managed patients in 5R, the Medical ICU, and was the Director, Medical-Respiratory Intensive Care Unit, SFGH 1985–1989. While working in the ICU Michael ensured that all AIDS patients were treated with dignity and respect, and that their chosen partners and family were give preference for visitation and involvement in care decisions.
In 1989, after spending a decade dealing with death and dying, Michael gave up his tenured UCSF position to attend Boalt Hall, School of Law (now Berkeley Law), to study of the ethics of law with a capital L. He was a member of the California Law Review and was its Editor-in-Chief, 1991–1992. There he wrote his comment, The Due Process of Dying, California Law Review 79:1121-1167, 1991, where he made the argument that management of death and dying needed to be left to patients and their physicians and not involve lawyers or courts. Michael defined the moral compass of medicine as charging physicians with restoring or improving the possibilities that patients had, and being there when we all reach our final possibility: dying.
In 1992, Michael returned to SFGH and then withdrew from the clinical practice of medicine to write a book, something he wanted to do for many years. He spent many years writing,researching historical events to include in his novel, and drawing on his experiences at SFGH that dealt with death and dying and the decisions that were made.
After considering various titles, he selected One Breath that distinguished life from death. The book had an extensive appendix and notes that precluded it being a light read and was never published.
Michael traveled the world with Bob always looking for a great meal and new adventure. After some falls, Michael's traveling was curtailed. He spent his time reading at home. He was always happy to see Cesar, Bob's former medical assistant, who helped with their two Westies, Daffodil and Camellia.
On December 16th Michael was admitted to Davies Campus, CPMC Sutter Health, for a problem that resolved, but his tenuous respiratory equilibrium was lost and he succumbed to progressive respiratory failure from COPD at the Van Ness Campus.
Michael touched and enriched many lives in the 77 years he was with us in life. He is survived by Bob, his life partner, his son Andy (Sally), his brother Chris (Maryann), his former wife Pam, and his two Westies.
A memorial celebration of Michael's life with be held. Contact Bob at [email protected] for details.