Dr. Herlihy is a professor of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, founding Chief of the Critical Care Service at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center, and clinical staff of the Texas Heart Institute, in the Texas Medical Center of Houston, Texas.

He has been recognized at local, regional and national levels for clinical excellence in both Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. Dr. Herlihy’s deep commitment to the education of medical students, residents and fellows has marked his career of over three decades and been recognized by multiple teaching awards. Investigation, innovation and writings that he has led, or been a team member for, have spanned the spectrum from molecular biology to clinical quality improvement. Dr. Herlihy, additionally, is a founding principle of Ex Machina Medical LLC, a medical device company evolving automated solutions to tissue and vascular access.

“Pat” was born in Spain to an Irish “mixed marriage”, stating that, “My father was a very proud son of West Cork and my mother a daughter of the Dingle Peninsula, in the Kingdom of Kerry.” He grew up in Maryland, received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Dallas, and his MD from Georgetown University School of Medicine. He completed his medical training in Boston via the Harvard Fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at The Massachusetts General Hospital. Along the way he served in the US Army Medical Corps, receiving an Army Commendation Medal for work as Chief Resident for Internal Medicine at Letterman Army Medical Center in San Francisco, and staffed The 98th General Army Hospital in Nuremburg, Germany, during The Gulf War. Per Dr. Herlihy, “The diaspora indeed wears cowboy boots and eventually took myself, wife Kathi Abba, and boys, Derry and Shea to Houston, where I’ve been proud to be an Irish Texan for the past quarter of a century.”

Regarding his Irish heritage and giving back, Pat says, “Growing up I had the great fortune to have spent time on my grandparents’ farm outside of Skibbereen and in the waters off Brandon Head fishing with the Kerry cousins. The heritage of the Hibernian land, it’s magical spirit, people and culture have been great treasures in my life. I have endeavored to share these wonderful gifts through support of The William J. Flynn Center for Irish Studies at The University of St. Thomas, here in Houston, as a board member of the 15-year-old organization. The Center offers an array of courses ranging from Irish language to history and literature, and provides select students with scholarship opportunities to study in Éire. The Center also faces outward to the community providing public lectures to understand the context of Irish and Irish American experience, as well as story-telling, poetry, and music, from our beautiful traditions.” ♦