Herman August Hein passed away peacefully on April 15, 2026. Herman was born on July 30, 1936 at Anamosa Hospital in Iowa to Rev. Herman and Marie Reyelts Hein.
After his family settled in Waverly, Iowa he graduated summa cum laude from Waverly High School in 1955. He went on to attend Wartburg College in Waverly where he met the love of his life Carol Bergquist. They married in August of 1958 and would have celebrated 68 years of marriage this year. In 1959 he graduated magna cum laude and went on to attend medical school at the University of Iowa where he graduated in 1963. Herman loved children and knew since the age of 12 that he wanted to be a pediatrician.
He left Iowa to spend two years as an Intern/Instructor at the University of Texas Southwestern and did a Pediatric Residency in Dallas, Texas at Parkland Memorial Hospital. His wife Carol and newborn daughter Tracey attended the JFK Presidential Motorcade and saw the President fifteen minutes before he was assassinated. Herman witnessed much of the aftermath of the President’s assassination at Parkland Memorial hospital that day. In 1965, his son Paul was born following his return to the University of Iowa for the third year of his residency. After his residency he was stationed at Shepherd Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas for 2 years. In 1968 he realized his dream and was certified in Pediatrics. From there he was in private practice as a general Pediatrician at Medical Associates in Dubuque, Iowa and then served as Director of the University of Iowa Primary Care Program at Muscatine Community Health Center. In 1973, the chair of the Pediatric Dept. asked him to join the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
Here at the University of Iowa, he served as Director of the Statewide Perinatal Care Program. During his tenure, established a legacy: a regionalized system for infant care called the Iowa Statewide Perinatal Care Program. This program ensured that no matter a baby’s place of birth, they were given proper care, which could mean a difference between life and death. He received his certification in 1975 for Perinatology-Neonatology. He went on to develop the Iowa High-Risk Infant Follow-up Program in 1977 to serve babies who had received intensive care or were otherwise at risk of developmental or medical problems. As Co-Director of the Barriers to Prenatal Care Project 1991-2006 he helped to create an assessment tool which is used by state health department staff to assure mothers receive appropriate care before and after bringing their newborns home. The program grew out of his time with the National Commission to Prevent Infant Mortality, which he was appointed in 1987 by President Regan.
Over three decades with the University of Iowa he advanced from assistant professor to associate professor and finally to full professor. After retiring he was honored with the title of professor emeritus, and served as clinical supervisor of the newborn nursery and attending physician in the UIHC neonatal intermediate and intensive care units. During this time, he traveled numerous times overseas to consult with universities and hospitals to share his knowledge and best practices for neonatal care. This included lectures in Germany, Sweden and Japan as well as throughout the United States.
Herman’s focus throughout his entire career was ensuring mothers and babies had equal access to quality pre-natal and post-natal care systems, regardless of circumstance, and to improve their quality of life. Due to Herman’s commitment and ingenuity, Iowa hospitals and public health programs save over 400 newborn lives every year.
Herman’s career provided him many honors, awards, recognitions and achievements such as:
1961 National Institute on Epilepsy Fellowship
1975-77 President, Great Plains Organization for Perinatal Health Care
1986 AJDC Paper of the Year “The Changing Pattern of Neonatal Mortality in a Regionalized System of Perinatal Care” selected by the AMA
1987-93 Member, National Commission to Prevent Infant Mortality
1987/8 Named by Newsweek as one of the “Unsung Heroes That Make a Difference”
1995 Recipient of the Interstate Post Graduate Medical Association Ben T. Whitaker Teaching Award
Presented by the Iowa Medical Society
2002 Iowa Med. Society Award of Merit in recognition of outstanding contributions to the profession and IMS, Des Moines
2005 University of Iowa President’s Award for State Outreach and Public Engagement
2006, 2009 Received Distinguished Alumni Awards University of Iowa College of Medicine
Aside from his busy professional life, Herman enjoyed many rounds on golf courses around the country and world as well as racquetball in his younger years. He enjoyed travels with his wife Carol and vacationing for 40 years on a lake fishing and enjoying family. He was a wonderful father, husband and grandfather. He always loved to entertain with a short pun or joke. During cold winter months he enjoyed baking bread, brewing craft beers and watching all the sports that were available. Retirement brought him to Arizona during the winter months, where he and Carol enjoyed many evenings with friends playing card and board games and sunny days on the golf course.
He is survived by his sister Karen Green (Mike) of Utah, sister-in-law Sharon (Jim) Sullivan of Florida, son Paul Hein of Iowa City, daughter Tracey (Bob) Huffman of Pennsylvania and grandchildren Quinnton and Daulton Huffman of Pennsylvania.
All obituary information has been taken from the funeral home, newspaper or other online resource.
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