White coats in the White House

Doctors who treat presidents become physicians in chief.

White coats in the White House

Retired Navy Rear Adm. E. Connie Mariano, MD, treats President Bill Clinton in the White House's private quarters after his 1997 quadricep surgery. Dr. Mariano changed the way the president's health care is delivered by instituting mandated 24-hour coverage from White House physicians. She joined the White House Medical Unit after giving a strong answer in her job interview with Burton Lee III, MD, then chief physician to George H.W. Bush. "You know, Dr. Lee, it's payback time. I owe a lot to the United States. My father was from the Philippines. He was a poor man, and he joined the U.S. Navy. That gave him a career, and his kids went to school here. I owe so much to this country."
Photo courtesy of Dr. Mariano

White coats in the White House

Burton Lee III, MD, an oncologist, was President George H.W. Bush's chief physician. One of Dr. Lee's first cases at the White House involved the Bushes' springer spaniel, Millie. "The dog had lupus, so I called up a lupus expert in New York, and he told me, 'Try taking the spleen out of the dog,' " Dr. Lee says. "So we did, and the dog had no more lupus."
Photo by William Foley / Time Life Pictures/Getty Images

White coats in the White House

Retired Army Gen. John E. Hutton, MD, (red tie) formed a strong bond with President Ronald Reagan during the doctor's years at the White House. Dr. Hutton, a surgeon, was Reagan's third chief physician. The first two were civilians. Dr. Hutton also hired other physicians to help staff the White House Medical Unit."I would always try to get somebody who would do it as a favor to the country."
Photo courtesy of Dr. Hutton

Posted with the March 23, 2009 issue - Accompanying article: White coats in the White House