Dan Pfeiffer, President Obama’s 37-year-old chief strategist and one of his longest-serving advisers, was hospitalized twice last week after suffering “stroke-like symptoms,†White House officials confirmed on Friday.
“We are happy and relieved to have Dan back at work full-time,†said Amy Brundage, a White House spokeswoman. “He’s feeling better, listening to his doctors and focused on helping implement the president’s very full domestic and foreign policy agenda.â€
While the health scare raised the question of whether Mr. Pfeiffer would finish the term with Mr. Obama â€" he is one of the few remaining White House aides who were with the president in January 2007, when he began his first, underdog presidential campaign â€" neither Mr. Pfeiffer nor his colleagues would address it.
According to Ms. Brundage, Mr. Pfeiffer first felt ill during dinner at a downtown restaurant on Sept. 4, and went to nearby George Washington University Hospital, where he remained overnight for tests and monitoring. He went to work the next day but had a similar occurrence and was re-admitted to the hospital, where he spent nearly two days.
Doctors decided the symptoms reflected hypertension. Mr. Pfeiffer had not previously been diagnosed with high blood pressure, though it runs in his family. Even from the hospital, he communicated with White House colleagues dealing with the Syria crisis. Mr. Obama, who was on a diplomatic trip to Russia, checked in a couple times.
After being released last Saturday morning, Mr. Pfeiffer went to the White House and helped prepare the chief of staff, Denis R. McDonough, for appearances on the Sunday television talk shows. He has been at work full-time this week, his blood pressure monitored by White House doctors.
