On December 1, 2025, the medical community and the city of Grants Pass, Oregon, lost a visionary leader with the passing of Dr. Dexter W. Shurney at the age of 67. A pioneer in lifestyle and preventive medicine, Dr. Shurney’s career was marked by national influence, deep compassion, and an unwavering commitment to health equity.
Dr. Shurney earned his medical degree from Howard University College of Medicine in 1983 and later completed advanced degrees in public health and business administration. Board-certified in both preventive and lifestyle medicine, he held senior leadership roles at Vanderbilt University, Adventist Health, and the Blue Zones Project. In 2018, he was elected President of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, where he helped guide the organization through significant growth and recognition.
He was instrumental in establishing lifestyle medicine as a formal medical specialty, co-founding the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine and championing evidence-based approaches focused on nutrition, physical activity, stress resilience, and social connection. Throughout his career, he advocated passionately for health equity, working to bring effective wellness programs to underserved communities and corporate settings alike.
In Grants Pass, where he and his wife settled to be closer to family and nature, Dr. Shurney remained an active mentor and community health advocate. He was known for hosting warm, thoughtful gatherings where clinical insights were shared over plant-based meals made from his own garden.
Outside of his professional life, Dr. Shurney found joy and balance in fly-fishing on the Rogue River, hiking the Illinois Valley trails with his children and grandchildren, and studying longevity practices from Blue Zones around the world. These personal passions reflected the very principles of wellness he dedicated his life to teaching.
Dr. Shurney is survived by his wife, children, grandchildren, and a global network of healthcare professionals whose work—and whose patients’ lives—are healthier because of his vision and guidance. Though he is gone, his legacy of compassionate, preventive, and equitable care will continue to inspire and heal for generations to come.