Dr. Omar Lateef, president and CEO of Rush University Medical Center, has been elected to the Illinois Health and Hospital Association’s 2021 Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees is the policymaking body for the association, which represents more than 200 hospitals and nearly 40 health systems across Illinois. Lateef will serve a three-year term that began Jan. 1.
Lateef became president and CEO of the Medical Center in 2019 and is a nationally recognized leader in the measurement of health care quality.
Under Lateef’s leadership, the Medical Center has received national attention for its effective management of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lateef was recognized for the Medical Center’s response in Modern Healthcare where he was named of 50 most influential clinical executives.
Before becoming the Medical Center’s CEO, Lateef was the chief medical officer of the Medical Center and Rush University System for Health. Under his leadership, Rush University Medical Center ranked first among 93 participating academic health systems across the nation in quality and accountability by Vizient in 2019.
A former associate dean of medical sciences at Rush University, Lateef is a professor of pulmonary and critical care medicine. He has published extensively on health care quality and delivery and has spoken internationally on methods for improving health care.
The Illinois Health and Hospital Association advocates for Illinois' more than 200 hospitals and nearly 40 health systems as they serve their patients and communities. Members provide a broad range of services — not just within their walls, but across the continuum of health care and in their communities.
