Biography of Dr. Russell Robertson

Photo by Jim Ziv

Dr. Russell G. Robertson took on the role as chairman of the Department of Family Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Evanston Northwestern Healthcare in October 2005. Recognized nationally, selected among the "Top Doctors in America" and "Top Family Doctors in America," Dr. Robertson was one of seventeen physicians nationwide appointed to the Council on Graduate Medical Education by the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services in 2003. Now chair of the council, Dr. Robertson and his fellow members advise Congress and the Department of Health and Human Services on issues related to physician supply and distribution.

Dr. Robertson’s interest in medical education has evolved to an international level. He serves as president of the board of the philanthropic Hillside Healthcare International, which established a health clinic in Punta Gorda, Belize, to serve area residents. Last year more than eighty medical students from the United States, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom rotated through the clinic. Dr. Robertson was also the only American family physician invited to the Second Annual Four Parties Conference on Family Medicine. The purpose of the meeting was to plan for the implementation of a national system for healthcare in mainland China centered on the concepts of family medicine. In addition, he was recently invited to join the Education Council at Northwestern University as well as contribute to the international efforts of the medical school in a leadership role.