AcademyHealth was saddened to learn of the passing of Dr. Robert J. Blendon, ScD, on June 17, 2026. Bob was a pioneering health policy scholar, a leading expert on public opinion and health care, and one of the founding leaders of the organization that would ultimately become AcademyHealth.
Bob is perhaps best known for transforming the role of public opinion research in health policy. Over a distinguished career at Harvard University, he helped policymakers, researchers, and journalists better understand how Americans think about health care, health reform, and the institutions that shape their lives. His work demonstrated that effective health policy requires not only strong evidence, but also a clear understanding of the public's experiences, concerns, and priorities.
For AcademyHealth, Bob's legacy is especially profound.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, health services research was a young field facing uncertainty about its future. Alongside fellow pioneers including Clif Gaus, Stuart Altman, William Pierskalla, and Philip Lee, Bob recognized the need for an independent professional organization that could strengthen the field, elevate its visibility, and advocate for the value of health services research.
While serving as senior vice president at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Bob helped underwrite a feasibility study that laid the groundwork for the creation of the Association for Health Services Research (AHSR). He went on to become a co-founder and former president of AHSR, a predecessor organization of AcademyHealth, which was formed when AHSR merged with the Alpha Center in 2000.
Bob understood that health services research needed institutions that could bring together diverse disciplines, connect research to policy, and ensure that evidence informed decision-making. That vision remains central to AcademyHealth's mission today.
Beyond his scholarship and institution-building, Bob was an extraordinary mentor. Colleagues and former students remember him not only for his intellectual rigor and insight, but also for his generosity, encouragement, and commitment to helping others succeed. Through the many researchers, policy leaders, and journalists he taught and inspired, his influence will continue for generations.
We mourn the loss of a founding leader whose contributions helped shape both our field and our organization. We are deeply grateful for Bob's vision, leadership, and enduring commitment to improving health care through research and evidence.
Our condolences go to his family, friends, colleagues, students, and all those whose lives and careers were touched by his work.