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United States Holly Atkinson, M.D., is a clinical professor and medical student advisor who has transitioned from a prominent medical correspondent to a leader in human rights and public health, advocating for the well-being of women and girls.
Clinical Professor and medical student advisor at the CUNY School of Medicine in New York City.
Director of the human rights program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where she founded and directed the Mount Sinai Human Rights Clinic.
Served on the board of directors for over 16 years, including four years as president. Now serves as an expert medical advisor and is a member of PHR’s asylum network.
A fellow of AMWA, where she helped launch AMWA’s Physicians Against Human Trafficking initiative.
Medical correspondent including assignments with NBC.
Medical correspondent including assignments with CBS News, and researcher for Walter Cronkite’s Universe Show on CBS.
Medical correspondent and Senior Vice President for Lifetime Medical Television.
Medical correspondent, including assignments with the PBS health show BodyWatch.
Senior on-air medical correspondent and chief medical editor of HealthiNation, a leading digital consumer health video network.
Assistant professor of Medicine and co-director of the Advancing Idealism in Medicine Program at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine.
Adjunct professor of Public Health at Weill Medical College of Cornell University.
Helped to found and ultimately became president and CEO of Reuters Health Information, Inc., a leading international health news agency.
Wrote a regular health column for New Woman magazine.
Wrote feature pieces for The South Beach Diet Newsletter.
Resident physician on Dr.Weil.com, a leading website.
Resident physician on iVillageHealth.com, a leading website.
Member of the original team that launched Journal Watch and founding editor-in-chief of HealthNews, a consumer health newsletter by MMS.
Founding medical editor-in-chief of EverydayHealth.com, one of the leading health websites, and a regular columnist for the site.
Served on the board of Legal Momentum, the nation's oldest and largest women’s civil rights organization.
Served on the board of the American Heart Association.
Served on the board of the Society for Women’s Health Research.
Joined KSR in the fall of 2002 after 22 years in the field of medical information and medical education.
Holly G. Atkinson earned her bachelor of arts degree from Colgate University. She then pursued her medical degree at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. Following her medical training, she completed an internship in internal medicine at Strong Memorial Hospital. Demonstrating a unique blend of scientific and communicative interests, Atkinson also obtained a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Early in her career, she worked as a researcher for Walter Cronkite’s Universe Show on CBS, signaling her entry into medical journalism.
Throughout her career, Dr. Atkinson has held various significant roles, bridging medicine and media. She served as senior vice president for Lifetime Medical Television for over ten years before co-founding Reuters Health Information, Inc., where she became president and CEO. Her editorial work includes being a founding editor-in-chief of HealthNews, a consumer health newsletter by the Massachusetts Medical Society, and later, founding medical editor-in-chief of EverydayHealth.com. She also dedicated significant time to non-profit work, serving on the board of directors for Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) for over 16 years, including four years as president. In this capacity, she conducted a medical mission to Bosnia in 1995 to document the health effects of landmines on civilians. She is currently a clinical professor and medical student advisor at the CUNY School of Medicine in New York City.
Dr. Atkinson’s work has consistently focused on the intersection of human rights and health outcomes, particularly for women and girls. She founded and directed the Mount Sinai Human Rights Clinic, providing medical evaluations for asylum seekers who have survived torture, human trafficking, and other human rights violations. Her extensive experience as a medical correspondent includes assignments with NBC, CBS News, Lifetime Medical Television, and the PBS health show BodyWatch. She authored the bestselling book “Women and Fatigue.” Her contributions have been recognized with awards such as the Esther Pohl Lovejoy Award from AMWA in 2016 and being named one of New York’s “New Abolitionists” for her anti-trafficking efforts. She is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and the American Medical Women’s Association, where she helped launch the Physicians Against Human Trafficking initiative.
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