The Journal has lost a loyal friend and trusted advisor when former board member Bernard S. Bloom, PhD, died at his home in Society Hill, Pennsylvania. A gifted economist, Bernie's contribution to the healthcare field was immeasurable and left an indelible impression on students and peers alike.

The University of Pennsylvania was Bernie's second home for nearly three decades—first as a student, earning his doctorate degree in health policy, planning, and economics in 1978, and then as a professor and researcher. As a professor, Bernie is credited with teaching more than 4,000 undergraduate students in his now classic introductory course on the healthcare system. Bernie's dynamic presence in the classroom inspired a generation of students to pursue careers in the healthcare field.

Bernie was responsible for conducting key research in the field of health economics and healthcare reform. One of the most memorable studies he led at Penn evaluated the availability of prescription drugs over the Internet. His study found that while the Internet may expand patient access to prescription drugs, it often comes at an increased cost and with little physician oversight. His provocative research has been widely published in many professional and peer-reviewed journals, including International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care. Bernie made lasting contributions to the Journal not only as an advisor and consultant, but as an author and peer reviewer from the first volume, published in 1986, up until the fall of 2005.

Bernie shared his talents as a chief consultant for the World Health Organization in Europe and chief of Health Services Research at the Philadelphia Veterans Administration. He has also held several important positions at Penn over the years, including senior fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute for Health Economics and a fellow at of the Institute on Aging. Bernie also held faculty appointments with the departments of Psychiatry and Dental Care Systems.

Known for his great sense of style, Bernie may have been just as likely to criticize your choice of tie as your research methods. But his characteristic candor succeeded in pushing students and researchers toward excellence—a standard that he demanded of himself.