Tributes to Philip R. Lee

“Phil demonstrated, in small ways and large, how to pivot to meet needs. When he began the Health Policy Program, the vision was to offer advice to people in Washington. But if Washington stopped being interested in advice, he brought researchers like myself on board to do the work that would provide the answers when questions would again be asked.”

"Phil’s personal achievements in health policy and health are magnified many times over by those of his trainees and mentees who number in the hundreds around the globe. And at his core, it was his personal warmth and caring – the kindness, support and nurturing he provided over generations – that is truly his legacy."

"Phil demonstrated, in small ways and large, how to pivot to meet needs. When he began the Health Policy Program, the vision was to offer advice to people in Washington. But if Washington stopped being interested in advice, he brought researchers like myself on board to do the work that would provide the answers when questions would again be asked."

"Phil was the model visionary, leader, conscience, mentor, and friend—a true public and personal hero. What could be more fitting than the Philip R. Lee Next Generation Fellowship, keeping Phil’s vision where it belongs, out front at the horizon as an ongoing inspiration to us all! "

"Phil was always genuinely helpful, kind and supportive. When Gary and I were medicine residents and wanted to take a year off to travel to Africa, everyone warned us not to, 'you might not get back into the residency program". Except Phil Lee and Phil Hopewell, who both encouraged us. After completing residency, when we returned to Africa to work in Somalia in 1985 for 3 years then at World Health Organization for many years, Phil Lee stayed in touch and continued to provide support and good advice at a distance.

He was always fully present when speaking with me and full of compassion and genuine interest. A true mentor and friend."

"Phil was such an important mentor in my career - literally would not have my job if it wasn't for Phil. He also really saw the connections between environment and health and was an early promoter of environmental impacts on health (he was co-founder of the Collaborative on Health and the Environment). Phil recruited me to be a Pew Postdoctoral Health Policy fellow so he could start work in environmental health policy. He also was a big supporter of me coming back to UCSF as a faculty member and being the first director of the Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment.

Phil always had time - and wanted to give it - a rare commodity among those of his stature. I will miss Phil."

"I worked with Dr. Lee from 1976 through 2009 after we had both retired on a range of health policy issues--refugee and immigrant health, the determinants of health (biological, behavioral, sociocultural, environmental) and a policy framework that encompassed these issues (health promotion, health protection, health care, and health research), health promotion and disease prevention strategies at the federal level of government, HIV/AIDS prevention and care models, diversity in US medical schools from the 1960s through 2000s, strategies to increase diversity in public and private universities, comparing UCSF and Stanford.

Phil's greatest gift to me was that he believed I could do things that I didn't know I could do, and I did them."