The Henry P. Russe, MD Citation

The Institute of Medicine of Chicago and Rush University Medical Center annually award the Henry P. Russe, MD, Citation for Exemplary Compassion in Healthcare. Henry P. Russe, MD served as Dean of Rush Medical College of Rush University Medical Center. He served five terms as President of The Institute of Medicine of Chicago during an extraordinary decade of personal and professional commitment to the advancement of medicine. In recognition of his contributions, the Trustees of Rush University Medical Center and The Institute of Medicine of Chicago have established the Henry P. Russe, MD Citation for Exemplary Compassion in Healthcare. This ongoing award demonstrates, as Dr. Russe exemplified, that humanitarianism must characterize the practice of medicine and medical education beyond the science, technology, and personal skillfulness essential in caring for the health of our fellow citizens.

Judith M. Haasis, ACSW, MSSW

2009 Recipient

Dr. Arnie Widen, Ms. Judith Haasis, 2009 recipient of Russe Citation, and Dr. Jim Webster at 94^th Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner
(Click for larger image)

Ms. Judith M. Haasis has been employed as the Executive Director of CommunityHealth since 2004.  CommunityHealth is an entirely free clinic, which provides high quality health care to people who are both poor and medically uninsured. CommunityHealth provides primary care, many specialty services, prescription drugs, and all laboratory tests, at absolutely no charge to the patient.  Consequently, CommunityHealth cares for some of the most vulnerable members of our society, and is an important safety net provider in Chicago. More than 300 volunteer physicians donate their time to keep the clinic open six days/week including four evenings.

Under the leadership of Ms. Haasis, CommunityHealth has experienced a remarkable period of growth in the number of patients served, in the volume of services provided, in the breadth of available services, and in the numbers and types of volunteer providers.  At the same time, CommunityHealth has attained huge increases in the donated funds upon which CommunityHealth depends for its very existence.  Ms. Haasis was responsible for the planning and launch of MedAccess Chicago, a licensed on-site pharmacy that provides free drugs not only for CommunityHealth patients but for many uninsured in the region who are cared for elsewhere.  This is a tangible manifestation of Ms. Haasis’ leadership, her personal compassion, and her dedication to the health and welfare of all people, which sets the tone for the compassionate mission of CommunityHealth.

Ms. Haasis serves on the Board of the National Association of Free Clinics. Prior to her tenure as Executive Director of CommunityHealth, Ms. Haasis fulfilled important leadership roles in other charitable health care organizations, all of which also had a mission of service to the public.  These organizations included the national office of the Alzheimer’s Association, Chicago; the Interfaith Nutrition Network, New York; Planned Parenthood Nassau County, New York, of which she was Executive Director; the New York City Department of Aging; and the United Charities of Chicago, IL.  This range of employment by organizations dedicated to directly helping people in need is clear-cut evidence of Ms. Haasis’ commitment to compassionate service.

We are honored to name Ms. Judith Haasis the 2009 recipient of the Russe Citation for Exemplary Compassion in Health Care.

Past Recipients of the Henry P. Russe, MD Citation

• 2008 Maria I. Brown, DO
• 2007 Mardge Hillary Cohen, MD
• 2006 Dharmapuri Vidyasagar, MD
• 2005 Warren W. Furey, MD
• 2004 Angelos P. Creticos, MD
• 2004 David W. Cugell, MD
• 2003 Arthur G. Jones, MD
• 2002 Arnold L. Widen, MD
• 2001 Henry Betts, MD
• 2001 Joanne G. Schwartzberg, MD
• 2000 Edward A. Lichter, MD
• 1999 Sister Sheila Lyne, RSM
• 1998 Quentin D. Young, MD
• 1997 James R. Webster, Jr., MD
• 1996 Dudley Childress, PhD
• 1996 Serafino Garella, MD
• 1995 Whitney W. Addington, MD
• 1994 Ruth M. Rothstein
• 1993 Harry J. Miller, MD