On a balmy May afternoon, longtime Yale School of Medicine personality, beloved mentor, accomplished doctor, and dedicated physician Margaret “Peggy” Bia, MD, FW ’78, stepped away from her official responsibilities. Surrounded by former patients, colleagues, friends, and well-wishers, like David Mulligan, MD. Bia was visibly moved as the group offered heartfelt thanks to her advocacy and leadership.

“Dr. Bia changed my life,” said Marilyn E. McNee, a transplant recipient, when asked for her reflections. “It’s been 13 years since my transplant, and she’s always a phone call away.”

Bia, a powerful advocate for increasing the number and roles of women in medicine, was also instrumental in emphasizing the importance of follow-ups after surgical operations and transplants to patient health. She leaves behind a more integrated and patient-focused system, one in which discharge from a hospital is not the end of care, but rather a new beginning.