Mollye Block

Co-Chair, A Woman's Journey

Mollye Block survived cancer as a young woman—an ordeal that showed her the need for women to better understand the health issues they face. This prompted her in 1995 to co-develop A Woman's Journey, Johns Hopkins Medicine’s annual women’s health conference. Along with fellow cancer survivor and Hopkins colleague, Harriet Legum, Block helped create this event that today features more than 30 Hopkins faculty members and draws 1000 participants.

An expert on women’s health issues, Block has served as the director of the state of Maryland’s Women’s Health Program for the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, where she was selected by the secretary of health to establish a program to help keep women and their families healthy. Prior to her role as director, she served as the executive assistant to the secretary of health.

A dedicated community advocate and educator, she is an established special education counselor with broad experience teaching and working with children, adolescents, families and couples. In addition, her private practice spanned from 1978 to 1997 and focused on educational testing, with specialization in adult dyslexia. 

Her involvement in nonprofit organizations includes serving as a founding member of Baltimore's Odyssey School for children with dyslexia. She also is on the Special Task Committee for the Woodborne Foundation and School, Mayor White’s Task Committee of the Future of Cleveland Public Schools, and the Howard Univesrsity School of Public Health Leadership Council.

Additionally, Block  serves on the Johns Hopkins Heart Institute Board of Governors and the Department of Psychiatry Advisory Board. Since 2001, she has been a member of the board of trustees and a national spokesperson for the National Stroke Association and was featured in the NSA magazine, Stroke Smart.She has been active on the boards of directors of numerous institutions, including the Women’s Board of The Johns Hopkins Hospital, the Cleveland Center for Contemporary Art, the Brimmer and May School Alumnae Association, Brimmer and May School, and Lesley University.