Saul Weiner MED ’93 Professor of Medicine, Pediatrics, and Medical Education, University of Illinois at Chicago; Staff Physician, Jesse Brown VA Medical Center

 

Saul J. Weiner, MD, is a professor of medicine, pediatrics, and medical education at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), where he directs the Clinical Leaders and Academic Scholars (CLASS) fellowship. He also serves as deputy director of the Center of Innovation for Complex Chronic Health care at the Veterans Health Administration. Weiner has held significant administrative roles, including senior associate dean for educational affairs, university vice provost, and senior advisor to the provost.
 
Weiner’s pioneering research focuses on the “contextualization of care,” which involves considering patient life context in care planning. His research, supported by over $15 million in primarily federal grants, uses innovative methods like incognito standardized patients and patient-recorded visits for analysis. This research has led to a quality improvement program adopted by the Department of Veterans Affairs, improving health outcomes and reducing unnecessary care costs.
 
Weiner’s work, published extensively in leading medical journals and books, has earned him awards such as the American Publishers Award for Professional and Scholarly Excellence (PROSE) in the life sciences, as well as the University of Illinois at Chicago Distinguished Researcher of the Year in Clinical Sciences. His books include “Listening for What Matters: Avoiding Contextual Errors in Health Care” and “On Becoming a Healer: The Journey from Patient Care to Caring about Your Patients.” He has been nominated twice for the US Department of Veterans Affairs Under Secretary Award for Outstanding Achievement in Health Services Research.
 
As a spinoff of his research, Weiner co-founded and serves as president of the Institute for Practice and Provider Performance Improvement (I3PI), collaborating with the American College of Physicians and Blue Cross Blue Shield to enhance value-based care. He co-hosts a podcast with Stefan Kertesz, MD, MS, titled “On Becoming a Healer,” discussing clinical training culture and its implications for patient care and clinician well-being. He has been featured on National Public Radio (NPR) programs, including the Diane Rehm Show, and serves as a consultant and advisor for various healthcare organizations.

 

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