Milwaukee native Robert A. Derzon died on June 17 of swine flu. A resident of Mill Valley, Calif., he was 78.
Called a “pioneer in contemporary health care,” Derzon was known for combining Medicare and Medicaid into one federal agency in 1977, during his two-year tenure as administrator of the Healthcare Financing Administration.
A graduate of Shorewood High School, he earned a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College in 1953. In 1955, he earned a Master in Business Administration from Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business and one year later, earned a master’s degree in public health from the University of Minnesota.
From 1960-66, he served as associate director of the New York University Medical Center and, in 1966, was appointed to be deputy commissioner of the city’s hospital department.
In 1970, he moved to California and became director of hospitals and clinics for the University of California, San Francisco. After spending two years as administrator of the Healthcare Financing Administration, he spent 20 years working for Lewin & Associates, a health policy and management firm.
According to an obituary in the New York Times, Derzon remained actively involved in local healthcare issues, attending late night meetings in spite of health issues. In 2006, he was appointed to serve on the board of the Marin Healthcare District, when a board member passed away before the end of his term.
His wife of 54 years, Margo Harris, died in 2002. He is survived by brother Gordon (Gail) Derzon of Madison; sons Michael (Robin Supplee) Derzon of Bainbridge Island, Wash., and James (Regina) Derzon of Washington, D.C.; daughter Andrea Merenluoto of Salt Lake City, Utah; and nine grandchildren.
A celebration of his life is being planned. The family would appreciate memorial contributions to the Marin Center for Independent Living, 710 4th St., San Rafael, CA 94901, www.marincil.org; or Environmental Traveling Companions, Fort Mason Center,%u2028 Landmark Building C, %u2028San Francisco, CA 94123, www.etctrips.org.
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