Getting to Know Our New Board Member, Eleanor Kerr
Culmore Clinic is truly honored to welcome Eleanor Kerr to our Board of Directors. Eleanor has a wealth of experience and connections in the healthcare policy and government affairs world. She will be an invaluable addition to our already incredible group of professional board members.
We say down with Eleanor to learn more about her background and why she was drawn to join Culmore Clinic’s leadership.
If you are interested in joining our board, please reach out. We are in the process of admitting new members.
Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from, and your professional experience?
I have lived in University Park, Maryland for the past 31 years, and I grew up in Brunswick, Maryland. Brunswick is in Frederick County and is on the C&O Canal and Potomac River. My family first settled in the area in the early 1700s.
I've been married almost 38 years to Stuart Kerr (pictured above), and we have a daughter, Marian, who will be 34 next week. They are my pride and joy! She lives downtown in DC (thank goodness), and works in External Affairs for AT&T. Stuart is Executive Director and President of the International Law Institute. He serves on multiple boards, and is the head crew coach at Elizabeth Seton High School in Bladensburg, Maryland.
I spent over four decades working in healthcare policy and legislation. I founded Kerr Advisors in early 2024, and advise life sciences technology innovators, medical products companies, and healthcare policy organizations on policy and government affairs strategy. I serve on the Advisory Council of the Alliance for Women's Health and Prevention and have had speaking engagements with the Board of Directors for MTF Biologics and Harvard's Wyss Institute, where post-doctoral students develop life sciences products for commercial use.
I spent the last 31 years of my full-time career working for two of the largest global medical technology companies, SmithKline Beecham (new GlaxoSmithKline) and Siemens Healthineers. I started Siemens' healthcare lobbying practice in 2001. Prior to my corporate experience, I worked in the U.S. Senate twice, including as a professional health staffer on the then-Labor and Human Resources Committee (now HELP), and I was a political appointee in the George Herbert Walker Bush Administration at HHS in the Secretary's Immediate Office. I managed all FDA and Medicaid policy review for the Secretary. While at Siemens Healthineers, I chaired the Medical Imaging Technology Alliance's (MITA) Washington Representatives Committee for around 10 years and served on the MITA Board of Directors. MITA awarded me the Lifetime Achievement Award in Advocacy in 2023, the cherry on top of my long career as a corporate lobbyist.
What inspired you to get involved with Culmore Clinic?
Since leaving Siemens and launching my "encore" career in advisory services, I have been pursuing advisory and board service. I am passionate about healthcare policy and its impact on the underserved, especially women and children. I met Lee Lynch early in 2024 after I established my practice and she has been an active mentor to me as I searched for ways to be helpful to healthcare organizations.
What does being part of the Culmore Clinic board mean to you personally?
I have very much wanted to be on a board for a healthcare organization. Most board searches exclude people who have not had prior experience on boards. This opportunity provides me with an opportunity to learn how to be a board member, and what it entails technically and personally. Being part of the Culmore Clinic organization will give me hands-on knowledge of the underserved population who come to the clinic and what their needs are. I have been very blessed in my career and life and I want to volunteer my time to helping people less fortunate.
What strengths or experiences do you hope to bring to the Clinic’s mission?
I not only have healthcare policy expertise, but I have a broad network of contacts throughout the healthcare policy and government affairs community in Washington, DC. I am a networker, and I hope I can provide outreach to the healthcare industry to support Culmore's mission.
Are there any particular areas of healthcare you're especially passionate about?
I am especially passionate about women's health and preventive care. The cuts in Medicaid and limits on reproductive health impact poor women the most, with hospitals closing, notably in rural areas—dropping least profitable services first, like maternity care, to save money and stay afloat. Our healthcare delivery system is in crisis.
What’s one thing you’ve learned about Culmore Clinic that surprises or impresses you?
This piece I read recently on your LinkedIn page from the Virginia Association of Free & Charitable Clinics was jaw-dropping:
"Culmore Clinic...has seen an explosive growth over the past year. The clinic has 900 registered patients, a 109% increase in the past year, with 30-40 new patients coming every month. The number of primary care appointments increased 83% from 2024 to 2023.”
So impressive and so critical. There is so much needand the clinic's services are literally lifesaving!
When you're not working or volunteering, how do you like to spend your time?
I've been a serious runner for 20 years, having run my first marathon in 2004. I do mostly shorter races now, but I'm a running "junky"! I've completed 11 marathons, around 20 half marathons, and 13 Cherry Blossom Ten Milers. I've run the Boston Marathon 4 times!
I also love tending my garden, traveling, doing needlepoint, and I have a passion for American History. I'm always reading something dense on US history (currently Rick Atkinson's Revolutionary War Trilogy), and I'm a board member of the National Society of the Colonial Dames. I also just joined the Daughters of the Revolution, because why not? It's almost the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence! Patriotism aside, I'm deeply read on Black History. I am passionate about understanding all of our history, including the ugly parts.