OAKLAND — Morris F. Collen, M.D., is a pioneer in harnessing the vast power of computers to improve healthcare. He is hip-deep in studying the ways that prescription drugs could interact and harm the elderly. He's hard at work on his sixth book.
But he just might be most proud of his brand new driver's license.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Tuesday, January 06, 2009 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 45 words Type of Material: Correction
Dr. Morris Collen: An article in Saturday's Section A about 95-year-old doctor Morris Collen said that when he earned his medical degree in 1939, penicillin had yet to be discovered. Penicillin was discovered in 1928, but no one was successfully treated with it until 1942.
"Can I show you something you'll never see again?" Collen asks, reaching for his well-used billfold. He pulls out the rectangle of pedestrian plastic. He points to the date of birth: 11-12-13. He points to the expiration date: 11-12-13. He grins.
"The one is in the 20th century," he says, tickled still. "The other is in the 21st century. That represents 100 years. When I looked at that, I said, 'My God, that's probably the only one in the country.' "
Why does a 95-year-old need a license, one that's just been re-upped for another five years? So he can drive to work, of course.
Collen is part of an elite fraternity -- above and beyond his 11-page resume with its 193 publications and his place as one of Kaiser Permanente's founding physicians.
Nonagenarians make up less than one quarter of 1% of California drivers. Less than one third of 1% of Americans age 95 and above work for compensation. It is difficult to discern how many work for free, and harder still to figure out how many work and drive. When Collen earned his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 1934, the first computer was a dozen years in the future. When he earned his medical degree five years later, penicillin had yet to be discovered.
He and Bobbie Diner wed in secret and lived apart for two years, because back in 1937 some hospitals fired nurses for marrying. Mandatory retirement was legal when Collen hit 70, so he stepped down as head of Kaiser Permanente's Division of Research and has consulted -- gratis -- for a generation since.
The healthcare giant is happy Collen does.
"He's doing cutting-edge research on information technology and computers," says Robert Pearl, M.D., chief executive of The Permanente Medical Group. "He's a systems thinker, a technologic thinker. He's unique for a 45-year-old. He's really unique for a 95-year-old."
For his part, Collen is happy to pile into his 10-year-old Oldsmobile Intrigue, complete with duct tape on the right rear window, and head to the Oakland-based Division of Research every Wednesday morning.
