Dr. Omar Lateef, president and CEO of Rush University System for Health and Rush University Medical Center, has announced his intention to retire from his role in June 2027. The Rush Board of Directors was informed earlier this year and today announced it will launch a national search for the system’s next leader in early fall.
By providing more than a year of advance notice, Lateef and the Board are ensuring a thoughtful leadership transition process that will support continuity across Rush’s academic, clinical and research missions while positioning the organization for continued success. Following the leadership transition, he will return to clinical practice and expand his work in community and public health.
“Serving as your CEO has been the greatest honor of my professional life,” Lateef wrote in a message to the entire Rush community. “Just months after I stepped into this role, we faced the most significant healthcare crisis of our generation. Together, we navigated the COVID-19 pandemic with courage, resilience and compassion. What stays with me most is not the national attention and countless awards, but the moments when patients who would not have survived without ECMO treatment walked out of Rush to your applause. I watched you with admiration as you showed, day after day, what it means to do what is right.”
Lateef’s connection to Rush spans nearly 25 years. After earning his medical degree from Des Moines University, he completed his fellowship training in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Rush University Medical Center in 2005 and joined the faculty shortly thereafter. Over the years, he established himself as a nationally respected clinician, educator and healthcare leader, ultimately becoming chief of pulmonary and critical care medicine, president and CEO of Rush University Medical Center in 2019, President of Rush University System for Health in 2021 and Chief Executive Officer of the system in 2022.
“For nearly 25 years, Rush has cared for me and my family as patients, colleagues, mentors and friends. Rush has given my family everything. It is not simply where I have worked — it is part of who I am,” Lateef said.
Throughout his tenure, Lateef has championed excellence in patient care, education, research and community engagement. He guided Rush through one of the most challenging periods in modern healthcare — leading the organization’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic while ensuring the safety of patients, team members and communities across Chicago. His leadership during the pandemic earned widespread recognition and reinforced Rush’s reputation as a trusted healthcare leader both locally and nationally.
Under Lateef’s leadership, Rush University Medical Center’s standing among the nation’s premier academic medical centers has grown significantly, including repeated placement on the U.S. News & World Report Honor Roll. He has helped establish national benchmarks for quality and safety through Rush’s leadership in Vizient quality outcomes.
Rush has experienced significant expansion to its academic, research, and clinical programs while advancing strategic relationships and growth initiatives across the health system. At the same time, Rush University continues attracting exceptional students, faculty and staff — with each of its colleges strengthening its reputation for excellence in academics and research.
A passionate advocate for health equity and community health, Lateef helped elevate Rush’s longstanding commitment to addressing the root causes of health disparities. He championed investments in community partnerships, violence prevention, workforce development, food access, housing stability and other initiatives designed to improve health beyond the walls of the hospital and close the death gap on Chicago’s West Side.
Whether it was Sankofa Village Wellness Center, Fillmore Linen or Concordance Healthcare, his vision reinforced Rush’s role as an anchor institution dedicated to improving the health and vitality of communities who need it most.
William Downe, Chair of the Rush University System for Health Board of Directors, expressed appreciation for Lateef’s leadership and long-standing service to the institution.
“Omar’s career at Rush exemplifies extraordinary dedication to our mission and our patients,” said Downe. “From his arrival as a fellow more than two decades ago to his service as President and CEO, he has helped shape Rush into the organization it is today. We are grateful for his many contributions and for his decision to provide significant advance notice of his retirement, allowing for a deliberate and thoughtful transition process.”
“What gives me confidence today is not that we are perfect, but that we are strong,” Lateef added. “Our quality and safety outcomes are among the best in the nation. Our clinical, academic and research missions continue to advance. We have exceptional leaders across our organization and the most dedicated workforce in healthcare. Underlying all that strength is financial security that will position Rush for the future.”
