Marc Hansen, MD, founder of the University of Wisconsin Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, passed away on February 5, 2025, at the age of 94.
Marc Hansen, MD
Hansen’s commitment to family medicine was unwavering. He tirelessly advocated for the incorporation of the family medicine specialty into hospital training programs, finding a willing partner in St. Mary’s Hospital under Sister Rebecca Wright’s leadership. His early collaboration with then state representative Tommy Thompson resulted in state funding for family medicine training, a legacy that continues to support the program 54 years later. These pioneering efforts established UW as having one of the first 15 family medicine training programs in the country.
Born in Marshfield, Wisconsin, Hansen’s journey from a small Midwestern town to becoming the creator of one of the most respected family medicine departments in the country is truly inspiring.
While on scholarship at Harvard University, Hansen decided to pursue a career in medicine during his junior year, realizing that working directly with and for others was his calling. He returned to Wisconsin during medical school to work on a summer project in Ripon where he was paired with a general practitioner (GP). It was then that he understood the importance of the generalist physician.
“I was one of three classmates who left medical school with an intention to train to be a GP,” Hansen shared in an interview from May 2020. “I was unaware of the very rare programs that described themselves as general practice internships, and I planned to complete my training by doing a first year of internal medicine residency at Boston City Hospital and then returning to Wisconsin and the UW Hospital to do a year of pediatric residency, as final preparation.”
After residency, Hansen spent over two years as a busy pediatrician while serving in the US Army. Returning to UW to continue his practice after discharge, he revived the department of pediatrics’ Well Baby Clinic, creating a teaching program, the University Child Health Service. From the start, the service was designed as a team practice that included pediatricians, nurses, social workers, and therapists. Other specialists saw value in serving families collaboratively, and the University Family Health Service was born.
Hansen’s impact was felt in the broader healthcare landscape as well. While leading U-Care, one of Wisconsin’s first HMOs, he promoted a capitated payment system to strengthen primary care and reduce the necessity for acute and catastrophic interventions. Even after U-Care’s acquisition by Blue Cross, his innovative ideas remained influential.
Marc Hansen, MD (front row, center), at the DFMCH 50th Anniversary Dinner with current and past chairs of the department. Back row, from left: James Davis, MD, MS (interim chair, 2006-2008); David Rakel, MD (current chair); William Schwab, MD (interim chair, 2020-2021). Front row from left: Valerie Gilchrist, MD (chair, 2008-2020); Hansen; John Frey, MD (chair, 1993-2006).
Hansen also played an instrumental role in founding the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine and contributed to The Journal of Family Practice—pursuits that emphasize his dedication to mentorship and collaboration with younger faculty.
Each year, Hansen’s legacy is honored at the Renner-Hansen Awards with the Marc Hansen, MD Lecture delivered by a junior faculty member who has contributed significantly to the education of students and residents.
Future generations of physicians continue to draw inspiration from Hansen’s life and work, which have indelibly shaped the UW Department of Family Medicine and Community Health and the field of family medicine.
His family is planning to hold a memorial service this spring.
Related: Marc Hansen, MD and John Frey, MD Discuss the History of Family Medicine
Former chairs Marc Hansen, MD and John Frey, MD discuss the history of family medicine during a resident seminar on December 2, 2015.
Published: February 2025