On the Board
A D M I R A L P A T R I C K W A L S H , U . S . N A V Y ( R E T. )
Admiral Patrick
Walsh
Admiral Patrick Walsh, U.S. Navy (Ret.) is a recent addition to the Baylor Health Care
System Foundation Advisory Board. A retired four-star admiral with a distinguished
34-year career in the U.S. Navy, he brings impressive credentials and experience to our
effort. Admiral Walsh was the vice chief of Naval Operations in support of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff (2007-2009) and the commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet (2009-2012). Since
retiring from the U.S. Navy last year, Admiral Walsh transitioned into the private sector
in the Dallas area and is the president of strategic programs for Academic Partnerships,
LLC, and concurrently, a senior fellow at the John Goodwin Tower Center for Political
Science at Southern Methodist University.
Admiral Walsh received his bachelor’s
degree from the United States Naval
Academy, a master’s degree from
Chapman University and an additional
master’s degree and doctorate degree
from the Fletcher School of Law &
Diplomacy at Tufts University. He is the
recipient of numerous honors and awards.
What is your current connection to
Baylor Health Care System?
My family has deep roots in Dallas –
my dad worked on the staff at Jesuit
College Prep for 47 years. After I graduated from Jesuit in 1973, I joined the
Navy, but I continued to stay connected
to the Dallas community over the course
of my time in the service. To receive an
invitation from the Foundation to join
their board is quite an honor, and I welcome the opportunity to reconnect and
positively impact the community. Health
care is one of the critically important topics of our time, and I am grateful to have
a role in this public policy discussion.
Why are you passionate about our
cause?
As I met with Baylor Health Care
System and Foundation leaders, I immediately saw that Baylor shared the same
level of excellence we aspire to in the
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the torch | winter 2013
military. In the various leadership positions that I held in the Navy, I witnessed
the effect of combat injuries on the
wounded and the life-altering impact the
wounds of war had on their families.
When we witnessed the incredible sacrifice of others and the quiet suffering that
they continued to endure, it became clear
to military leaders that we needed the best
medical teams and care the country could
offer to those who risked and, in some
cases, gave everything in sacrifice for their
country. It is clear that Bay