Leonard Bachman, formerly of Bryn Mawr, a former Pennsylvania secretary of health, retired U.S. Public Health Service officer, and former chief of anesthesiology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, died on May 24 aged 99, writes Gary Miles for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Bachman was also a longtime doctor, professor of pediatric anesthesia, volunteer, and veteran.
“He believed that access to quality health care was a human right and he advocated for the policies that would make that a reality for every individual,” said his family in a tribute.
In 1979, he was appointed to the U.S. Public Health Service. He was named rear admiral in the commissioned corps and put in charge of PHS hospitals, clinics, medical disaster response teams, and other national health programs.
After retiring 1994, he served for over a decade as a medical consultant to the U.S. Marshals Service.
During his time as Pennsylvania’s secretary of health for Gov. Milton Shapp, Bachman confronted Legionnaires’ disease, Hurricane Agnes, and swine flu, along with dozens of health policy controversies.
He received many recognitions, including a 2018 Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award.
Read more about Leonard Bachman’s impact on public health in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
