Barbara Ellen Dolan

Barbara Dolan is a seasoned author, healthcare professional, and health care policy analyst for various medical societies. Her writing career spans more than seven decades. She began writing in fourth grade, earning her first award for an essay, The Values of a Religious Vocation. During her ten years as a medical society health care policy analyst, she became managing editor of Dermatology World; she wrote and edited Reconstructive Surgery News and The HMSS Newsletter, and also helped to write a managed care manual for another medical society. As a newspaper reporter for six different community newspapers, she earned the Lerner Award and a National Newspaper Association, honorable mention, for a commentary she wrote. Her most memorable interview was with William F. Buckley, who held her hand as he talked. Beyond publishing, Barbara served as Irvington General Hospital Vice President of Administrative Services in New Jersey, and Director of Support Services at Glenbrook Hospital, Glenview, IL, combining leadership with a deep commitment to community wellness. She is a licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC) with three master’s degrees, including an MA in Public Administration, MS in Applied Family and Child Studies, and MA in Community Counseling. Having provided community counseling and foster care case management, she continued in a private practice for community counseling until the age of 75. Barbara’s literary contributions extend across multiple genres, including children’s picture books and one chapter book that she wrote for her grandchildren, poetry, short stories, and one murder mystery novel. Her children’s picture books—the first of which was illustrated by her brother, Paul Dolan—include The Queen’s Tea, Violette, Grandma with the Big Hair, Lily and the Geese, Dahlia and Michael’s Accidental Adventure, and Jesse’s Challenge; Caroline, Rosalie and Ruby, is her only children's chapter book. Her upcoming children's picture book, Always and Forever, is written for her two great grandchildren. Her poetry and short stories have been published in Ships That Pass in the Night, showcasing her award-winning commentary. Her latest novel, The Guardian Angel Murder, drawing on real-life experiences while weaving a compelling fictional narrative, together with her children's books, short stories and poems, are being marketed worldwide by World Publishing Company. Faith and connection are central to Barbara’s work and personal philosophy. She integrates her belief in resilience, prayer and a strong spiritual foundation into both her writing and her professional life. With a career that bridges healthcare, counseling, and publishing, Barbara continues to inspire through stories that emphasize healing, family, and the power of relationships. Her achievements reflect a lifelong dedication to creativity, service, and the nurturing of future generations through literature.

• Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC)

• Elmurst College, BS; Northern Illinois University, MA in Public Administration, and MS Applied Family and Child Studies; Argosy University, MA Community Counseling

• Lerner Award

• National Newspaper Association and the Lerner Award for commentary.

• Vounteer at the local hospice and the local shelter for the unhoused.