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Justine Mary (Meehan) Carr
December 10, 2019

Obituary

CARR, Justine Meehan M.D. Founding Chief Medical Officer for Steward Heath Care April 28, 1948 - December 10, 2019 After a long and valiant fight with leukemia, Dr. Justine Carr, wife, mother, grandmother and physician passed away peacefully. She was age 71. Justine was a transplanted New Yorker, who loved her adopted hometown of Boston and most especially the Patriots. She grew up in Manhasset, NY and spent summers in Amagansett. She graduated with honors from Newton College of the Sacred Heart and went on to Columbia University, where she received a Masters in Psychology and then an MD at the College of Physicians and Surgeons. Next it was off to housestaff at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital where it was love at first sight with her future husband, Dr. Daniel Carr. They continued house staff training together at Mass General Hospital after which Justine began a hematology fellowship at Beth Israel Hospital, later named Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC). She remained at BIDMC for 27 years, initially as a hematologist and later as a physician executive in healthcare quality. In 2008, she left BIDMC to continue her focus on healthcare quality as Chief Medical Officer in the transformation of Caritas Christi Health Care into Steward Health Care, one of the earliest Accountable Care Organizations under Obamacare. She retired in 2016 and took a position on the Steward Board as the system grew to 36 hospitals across the US with others in Europe. Following her appointment by President George W. Bush, Justine also served ten years on the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics (NCVHS), an HHS Advisory Committee in Washington, DC. She chaired NCVHS's Quality Committee and later the full Committee. She also served on the Boards of NEHI (Network For Excellence In Health Innovation) and the Sarita Kennedy East charitable foundation. Justine loved life, family, sailing, the Patriots and Ireland. She and Dan enjoyed travel and fell in love with Ireland, where they bought a home in Loughshinny. She was fluent in Italian and had worked in the papal audience in Rome one summer in college. Another college summer was spent among the Navajos teaching at St. Michael's Franciscan Mission in Window Rock, Arizona. She was proud to be viewed as a person of high character and integrity. Some colleagues referred to her as their "moral compass." She had a commanding presence, charisma, quick wit, great sense of humor, loving smile and enjoyed a good laugh. She mentored innumerable colleagues – particularly women in health care – at local and national levels. Throughout her illness she entertained friends and family, updating them with regular entries in her CaringBridge blog, providing a brief clinical update, always followed by an amusing rendition of recent events in the rest of her life. She did not complain about her illness, but savored the joy of every day. She faced death with inspiring faith, equanimity and peace. She was preceded in death by her parents, Jack and Justine (Dennehy) Meehan and a brother, Terrence Meehan. She is survived by her husband Dan, the love of her life for 42 years, her beloved children, Nora Carr (and husband Dan Libon) of West Roxbury, MA, Rebecca Carr and son Éamonn of Loughshinny, Ireland, and Andrew Carr (and partner Ms. Shimeng Yu) of New York, NY, a brother, John Justin (and wife Daizy) of St. Louis, MO and sister Monica McNamara (and husband Kevin) of Boston, as well as many cousins, nieces and nephews. A wake will be held at the Gormley Funeral Home, 2055 Centre Street, WEST ROXBURY, MA on Tuesday, December 17 from 2-8 PM. Her Funeral will be held at 10 AM on Wednesday, December 18 at The Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola, Newton, MA with Burial at St. Joseph Cemetery, 990 LaGrange Street, West Roxbury, MA. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Justine's name at: St. Albert's Mission Hospital and Affiliated Clinics http://www.stalbertsmissionhospital.org/donate.html or the Shalom Center for Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation https://shalomconflictcenter.org/?cause=conflict-resolution-in-kenya. For directions and guestbook www.gormleyfuneral.com

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Gormley Funeral Service
2055 Centre Street
West Roxbury, MA 02132
617-323-8600