Newswise — J. Paul O’Keefe, MD, 67, Professor of Medicine, Medical Director of the Medical Specialties Practice at Loyola Outpatient Center as well as Medical Director of the Maywood Primary Care Clinic, has been named Chair of the Department of Medicine at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, effective Monday, Feb. 10.

He assumes the role formerly held by David Hecht, MD, who has become Senior Vice President of Clinical Affairs for Loyola University Health System.

Dr. O’Keefe’s leadership as a practicing clinician and a distinguished researcher has made him a beloved, respected teacher and mentor. Throughout his career, Dr. O’Keefe has donated his time and skill to bring essential health-care services to communities in desperate need, consistently honoring the service-focused, Jesuit-Catholic values that have shaped his life and work.

A 1971 alumnus of Stritch, Dr. O’Keefe returned to Loyola University Medical Center in 1977 and was named Director of the Division of Infectious Diseases. Ten years later, he became Medical Director of the Maywood Primary Care Clinic. In 1999, after eight years as a full professor, he became Medical Director of the Medical Specialties Practice at the Loyola Outpatient Center. He has served as Vice Chairman of the Department of Medicine for the past five years.

His tireless dedication to the community is evidenced by his roles as chair of the HIV/AIDS Task Force of the Archdiocese of Chicago and as a member of the Health Advisory Board of Catholic Charities of Chicago. He is the founder and organizer of the Maywood Clinic, which has brought care to thousands of underserved individuals who lack access to basic health services. Dr. O’Keefe’s devotion to teaching and service to others has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Medical Alumni Association’s Golden Apple Teaching Award in 1992, the Spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award in 2000 and the Stritch Medal in 2004.

He has published hundreds of articles in peer-reviewed journals and is nationally known for his research in the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases.

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