EMELIE ILARDE, MD FAAFP ‘87

The following bio was published in February 2022.

Emelie Ilarde, MD FAAFP ‘87 is a licensed board-certified practicing family physician at Lawn Medical Center. She has been a stout advocate for both her patients and peers throughout her career, receiving numerous awards and serving on committees at both Christ Hospital and within the broader Advocate Aurora Health System.

“Act as if everything depended on you and pray as if everything depended on God.” These words from Saint Ignatius of Loyola have inspired Emelie throughout the course of her career. Passionate about the comprehensive health and well-being of her patients, she leads the patient healthcare team to provide comprehensive care to patients of all ages and genders, through all stages of life. More recently, she has added focus on her peers. Prior to COVID-19, there was an epidemic of physician burnout, which only worsened due to the pandemic, and impacted women significantly.

To help address the issue, Emelie was selected as a scholar for the American Academy Family Physician (AAFP) Leading Physician Well-being program in 2022. These  leading scholars will provide stability, enhance the quality of care, improve the morale of the care team, and help communities stay focused on health-enhancing activities within their practice or health care organization.

She also is involved in Advocate Physician Partners (APP), which brings together physicians who are committed to improving healthcare quality, safety, and outcomes for the patients across Chicagoland. This group has garnered widespread national recognition for its innovative clinical integration program which has resulted in more efficiency, improved health outcomes and significant cost savings for patients.

Emelie currently serves as president of the APP Physician Hospital Organization Board at Christ Hospital, representing more than 500 physicians and serving as a member of the Governing Council and Medical Executive Committee for the hospital. This past winter, she was elected as Vice Chair of APP’s governing board of directors, and will be both the first female and first Asian American to serve in the position.

Emelie is the recipient of the Gold Congressional Award; Chicago Magazine Top Doc in 2018; Chicago Magazine Top Doc for Women and Kids in 2021; Castle Connolly 2021 Exceptional Women in Medicine; and Chicago Magazine Top Doc in 2022. She also serves on Mother McAuley’s Board of Trustees and participates in the Academic Affairs Committee.

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