Dr. Agnes D. Lattimer

Dr. Agnes Lattimer
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Dr. Agnes LattimerLeadership in health care

Dr. Agnes D. Lattimer has a long association with Cook County Hospital, the newly rebuilt and renamed John H. Stroger, Jr., hospital.She began her medical journey in Cook County back in the mid 1950's, and although she's officially retired, remains very active as a health care professional and civic activist.

Dr. Lattimer can't remember a time when she did not want to be a doctor.Born in Memphis in 1928, Dr. Lattimer was the oldest of five children and the first to go to college.Armed with a B.A. degree from Fisk University, she arrived in Chicago in early 1950.She was initially refused entry into the Chicago Medical School and worked as a maid for a year before giving medicine another try.

While Dr. Lattimer is known to her patients as a pediatrician, she has served for many years in positions where she directed and trained others.From 1966 until the early 70's, Dr. Lattimer was Director of Ambulatory Pediatrics at Michael Reese Hospital.After leaving Michael Reese, she began a long association with Cook County Hospital -- as director of ambulatory pediatrics, director of the Fantus Health Center, and as director of Cook County Hospital for nearly 10 years, from 1986 to 1995.She also served as professor in the in the Chicago Medical School's Department of Pediatrics, as a medical consultant to Oak Forest Hospital of Cook County, as a regional medical consultant for the Job Corps, and as medical consultant for occupation environment health consultants Carnow, Conibear & Associates, a position she has held since 1998.She also served as President of the Illinois Chapter of American Academy of Pediatrics from 1983-1986.

Dr. Lattimer spends much of her time volunteering, as part of her lifelong commitment to improving healthcare delivery systems for disadvantaged populations, promoting the prevention of illness and wellness concepts among patients, and training the next generation of medical students and physicians.

One of her earliest role models was her pediatrician, who came to her family's house to fix her broken arm."The thing that I remember most about him was that he was so gentle and caring and he took the time to explain to me as a child, what was going to happen," she says."That attitude has been a guiding principle for me throughout my practice, because one thing that many physicians don't do is take the time to express compassion, talk to the patients and let them know what will happen.That is very, very critical and has been for me."

Among her many honors, Dr. Lattimer was recently given the Lifetime Achievement Award by Provident Foundation.In 1995, she received a special recognition award from the Black Physicians Association for her commitment and dedication to serving Cook County Hospital, and in 1991 a sculpture called "The Healer" was unveiled in her honor by the African American Physicians of Cook County Hospital in appreciation for her service to the African American community.She points to two additional awards that have special meaning for her: the Archibald L. Hoyne Award for Dedicated Contributions to Children, awarded in 1990 by the Chicago Pediatric Society; and an award from the medical staff of Cook County Hospital upon her retirement in 1995, recognizing her for "twenty-three years of meritorious contributions as member of the medical staff and ten years of dedicated service as the Medical Director."

Dr. Lattimer says she would like to be remembered for her compassion and understanding with patients, and for her efforts to pass this humanitarian spirit onto her students and colleagues.How does she describe her life motto?"Practice what you preach," she says.
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Dr. Agnes Lattimer

Others associated with Chopra include Steele Belok, MD, and Amy Silver, MD, both clinical instructors at Harvard Medical School; Agnes Lattimer, MD, medical director of Cook County Hospital in Chicago; Kelvin O. Lim, MD, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral science, Stanford University School of Medicine; Barry Marmorstein, MD, associate professor, University of Washington School of Medicine; S.M. Siram, MD, director of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit and Trauma at Howard University School of Medicine.