Michael O'Sullivan, MD, an integral founding member of the Mayo Clinic Health System and former member of its board of governors, died April 20 at the age of 88.
"Both Mayo Clinic Laboratories and Mayo Clinic Health System were founded through his vision, and their ongoing successes are testaments to what he has done for each and every one of us and the patients we serve," William Morice II, MD, PhD, president and CEO of Mayo Collaborative Services, said in an April 25 news article from the health system.
Born and educated in Ireland, Dr. O'Sullivan completed his fellowship in hematology and pathology at Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic. He officially joined the hospital in 1969 as a consultant in hematopathology. In 1971, he founded Mayo Regional Laboratory, which evolved into today's Mayo Clinic Laboratories.
Dr. O'Sullivan made history as the first physician leader of Mayo Clinic Health System in 1992, uniting physician-led community clinics and hospitals across Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa. He was named CEO of Mayo Clinic in Arizona in 1997 — leading the organization through financial challenges and overseeing the opening of Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix before retiring in 2002.
A music lover, Dr. O'Sullivan also established the Mayo Clinic Center for Humanities in Medicine and started talent shows at the system.
"Dr. O'Sullivan was a true icon who lived out Mayo Clinic's values," said Gianrico Farrugia, MD, president and CEO of Mayo Clinic. "He dedicated his life's work to Mayo Clinic and our patients, and his impact lives on in the work we do to transform healthcare today."