From June 1976 until February 1984, Dr. Healy served on the faculty of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Hospital, where she became a professor of medicine and cardiology, director of the Coronary Care Unit, and was dedicated to patient care, research and teaching. Dr. Healy also served as assistant dean for post-doctoral programs and faculty development in the medical school.
Among her other professional affiliations, Dr. Healy has served on the American Board of Internal Medicine, on the Board of Governors of the American College of Cardiology, and as president of the American Federation of Clinical Research from 1983 to 1984. She served as president of the American Heart Association (AHA), a volunteer role, in 1988 and 1989, having been a member of its Board of Directors since 1983. As AHA president, she initiated the Women and Minorities Leadership Task Force and a Women and Heart Disease program that took hold in affiliates nationwide.
Dr. Healy was elected as a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences in 1987. She was also elected to a six-year term as a member of the Board of Overseers of Harvard University and served on the Visiting Committee to their school of medicine. She has served on the Board of Trustees of Vassar College, and on numerous public and private advisory groups. Over the years, she has received numerous awards and honorary degrees. She is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of the Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus and serves on the corporate boards of Medtronic, MBNA, Ashland, and Invacare.