Suzanne Delbanco

1968 - 2024

Suzanne Delbanco
01/21/1968 - 05/13/2024
Suzanne died in Berkeley, CA, on May 13, 2024 of ovarian cancer at age 56. From her earliest days, she made things happen. She'd startle by wiggling her eyes independently, write simultaneously with both hands moving in opposite directions, master subjects that intrigued her, and ignore those that didn't. Deploying skills gained in public school in Lexington, Massachusetts, she pulverized opponents in national debates and took full advantage of related techniques in many of her future efforts. At Wesleyan College, she both competed on the rugby team and conceptualized delivery system alternatives that would address unique preferences among patients with HIV/AIDS. While gaining her PhD in public policy at UC Berkeley, she uncovered enormous gaps in knowledge about emergency contraception among both patients and clinicians and, working at the Kaiser Family Foundation, developed educational initiatives to remedy nationwide ignorance. Next, while still in her early 30s, she led the design and implementation of Leapfrog, the quality of care and safety initiative that 23 years later continues to safeguard patients in hospitals. To spur adoption of the Leapfrog Hospital Measures, she induced hospitals to compete for high Leapfrog grades, a tactic that catapulted their adoption nationwide. Finally, striving to improve healthcare value and lower runaway prices, she founded the Catalyst for Payment Reform and worked with large employers to catalyze meaningful change. A superb speaker, educator and mentor for a wide variety of people of all ages, Suzanne stayed away from academia, lamenting its politics and slow pace of change. She was a joyful warrior whose fierce determination to speak truth to power came at you hard, but whose kindness and grace stayed with you and propelled us all forward. And Suzanne did not just work. She loved the arts, hiking, gardening, scuba diving, exploring different lands and cultures, or working in food pantries and refugee camps. She never let a good sunset (or sunrise) go unappreciated. Above all, she poured herself into her family. Her husband, Sachu Constantine, and two sons, Jorah and Kiran Delbanco, are buoyed forever by her love and devotion. She is survived also by her parents, Jill and Tom Delbanco; brother, Steve; sister, Jennie (Shaw); and multiple nieces, nephews and cousins, each sharing consternation at her premature death and endless admiration for the life she led. On June 29, she will be celebrated in Berkeley, California, and again later this summer on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. Donations in her memory might best be directed to organizations focusing on improving the environment, health care, or feeding the hungry.