Dermatologist Is to Retire

Bernard Berger, a dermatologist who was at the forefront of scientific efforts to pinpoint the causes of Lyme disease, announced that after nearly 50 years of tending to the skin care of East End residents, he would be closing his Southampton practice on June 30. 

“When I opened my practice in 1971, with my pregnant wife serving as secretary and nurse, I was the only dermatologist on the South Fork,” wrote Dr. Berger in a letter announcing his retirement. Early on in his career, he dabbled in hair transplants and dermabrasion, he said, but his main focus has been treating skin ailments ranging from psoriasis to cancer. 

  Thinking back on the early study of Lyme disease, Dr. Berger recalled the feeling of camaraderie among researchers as well as fierce competition for grant money. He also expressed gratitude to his patients for contributing to his studies. “I took blood and skin samples from several hundred of them,” he said. “They were so cooperative and brave.”

Dr. Berger, who lives in East Hampton, plans to stay active with sports (including sculling) and continue reading medical journals during his retirement.