Constance Urciolo Battle, M.D.
Eleanor Roosevelt is attributed with the quote, “It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.” Constance Urciolo Battle cast a bright shining light for the families who found understanding, support, and quality care from a doctor who refused to look the other way. Recognized nationally and internationally for her numerous contributions to the field of pediatrics, Battle developed innovative approaches to the medical treatment, hospitalization, and care of children living with disabilities.
A native of Maryland, Battle was born in Baltimore in 1941. She received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Trinity College and her medical degree from the George Washington University School of Medicine. She completed her internship and residency in pediatrics at the University of Rochester in New York. In 1972, she was awarded a Health Services and Research Fellowship from the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare for study at the Center for Health Administration Studies, Graduate School of Business at the University of Chicago.
From 1983-1995, Battle served as the Medical Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, D.C. She directed and expanded a complex, multi-disciplinary institution that serves severely handicapped children. Under her leadership, the Hospital for Sick Children grew from a small pediatric nursing home to an accredited pediatric rehabilitation specialty hospital with a 130-bed capacity. During her 18 years as the leader of the Hospital for Sick Children, Battle developed model programs, trained staff, and helped with the post-graduate education of physicians.
A Board Certified pediatrician, Battle holds an academic appointment as a professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine and the Children’s National Medical Center, as an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Child Health, and as a Visiting Clinical Professor of Pedodontics at Howard University. She authored more than 50 articles, book chapters, and monographs dealing primarily with children, their families, and professional care providers in the management of developmental disabilities.
As a fellow in the Creating Healthier Communities Fellowship of the Healthcare Forum in 1993, Battle worked on an Action Research Project for HIV/AIDS adolescent mothers and their children. The project evolved into a collaborative effort between the National Institutes of Health and the Hospital for Sick Children, becoming the Minority Adolescent Community Initiative (MACI). Battle was appointed the Principal Investigator of the MACI Project.
Battle received numerous honors from professional societies, organizations, and civic groups. Her election to leadership positions in many educational and medical institutions, among them, President of the District of Columbia Hospital Association, National President of the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA), and National President of the Association for the Care of Children’s Health, illustrate her leadership abilities and dedication to the field of medicine.
Battle's contributions to her community, women, and youth are equally impressive. She served as a mentor for women premedical students, medical students, and physician colleagues. Despite her quiet, unassuming manner, she worked with organizations and anonymously as an advocate for women and girls. She served as a consultant to the Howard University Department of Pediatrics and Child Health to strengthen the Child Development Center. She also was chosen as a consultant to the Institute for Urban Affairs On Coping In Black Families With Handicapped Children due to her sensitivity to issues related to minority populations.
As a distinguished physician, national and community leader, mentor, and humanitarian, Battle has been honored with many awards and honors. She has served as a beacon for all who aspire to make the world a better place.
"If I look gentle, I'm glad. I really admire gentleness. But one has to get through life. No one gets to my age unscathed…The question is if you have the grace to get through things." - Constance Uricolo Battle
Biography courtesy of the Maryland Commission for Women, 2000; updated 2023.