Daniel F. Hanley, M.D
"
Dan was the consummate physician, loved by his patients and admired by his colleagues."*
Daniel Francis Hanley was born in 1916, the youngest of 8 children. He earned a scholarship to Bowdoin College and Columbia Medical School, served as a medical officer in World War II and returned to Bowdoin, where he was head physician for 33 years.
Dan specialized in sports medicine, served as the chief physician of the United States Olympic team from 1964-1972, and was a member of the International Olympic Medical Commission, where he was a pioneer in identifying the medical dangers of steroid use and developing Olympic pre-competition drug testing programs.
During his time as Bowdoin's physician, he collaborated with Bowdoin trainers to design, develop and study a new football shoe that reduced knee injuries. He took care of private patients, was pivotal in establishing the first physician directed malpractice company in Maine and served on many State boards. He started scholarship funds to enable Maine students to attend Bowdoin and go on to medical school.
Dan served as executive director of the Maine Medical Association and editor of its journal. In 1975, when other publishers rejected Dr. Jack Wennberg's article describing wide variations in rates of common surgical procedures in different parts of Maine, Hanley published it. In his accompanying editorial, he challenged the medical profession to take positive action to address the variations in health care. But Dan was not content to let the matter rest with exhortation to his colleagues. He worked with physicians, in tandem with business and insurance industry leaders, to establish a statewide hospital discharge data base, the Maine Health Information Center, and the Maine Medical Assessment Foundation, to engage physicians to study variations in care and patient outcomes.
"His leadership inspired many physicians and played an important role in convincing Senator Mitchell of the need for Congress to establish a new federal agency now known as the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality."
"Dr. Hanley will be remembered for his good humor and his tenacity in his self-chosen task of inspiring his colleagues to deal with the sometimes unpleasant facts of practice variations. But above all, he will be remembered for his integrity and the role model his life and work provides for today's health care professionals who seek to make medical practice better for patients."*
*Eulogy for Dr. Daniel F. Hanley by Jack Wennberg, M.D.