Mayer, former health policy faculty member, praised in national press

Michelle Mayer and husband Bill Steinbach

Dr. Michelle Mayer was 39 years old when she died Oct. 11. She had many things to live for – a promising career, a devoted husband, two children aged 7 and 9.

Until last year, Mayer had been a research assistant professor in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Department of Health Policy and Management. This week, the department’s faculty voted to name a Program on Health Outcomes lecture in her honor.

For 12 years, she had fought a rare autoimmune disorder called scleroderma. Her personal courage, sense of humor and crusade for patient rights inspired many across the country who shared her journey through her blog, “Diary of a Dying Mom.”

On Oct. 22, The Washington Post wrote an article praising Mayer’s courage and her triumphs as “a difficult patient.”

Now, Susan Dentzer, editor-in chief of Health Affairs, the nation’s leading journal of health policy, has written about Mayer in a blog, calling Mayer a person whose life “underscored the importance of improving health and healthcare worldwide.”

“Michelle was an extremely bright and inquisitive student, researcher, and individual,” says Sally Stearns, PhD, associate professor of health policy and management and chair of Mayer’s dissertation committee.

“She was more focused than most people I have known, and her keen intellect (and perhaps an awareness of the limited time she had) led to substantial contributions to a variety of areas, ranging from her academic interest in improving health services for children with challenging medical conditions to her personal experience in underlying problems with medical treatment from a patient’s perspective.

“We have lost a great colleague and friend, but we all benefitted substantially from the insights and perspective that she was able to share with us.”

Read more about Mayer’s life on the Gillings School of Global Public Health website.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 10 a.m. at the Nazareth Academy High School Chapel in Philadelphia, Pa.

The School extends its condolences to her family and many colleagues and friends.

UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health contact: Ramona DuBose, director of communications, (919) 966-7467 or ramona_dubose@unc.edu.