Joseph R. Hageman, MD, FAAP - Professor of Health Sciences, Pediatrician/Neonatologist

Lincolnshire, IL – Prominently featured in The Inner Circle, Joseph R. Hageman, MD, FAAP is acknowledged as a Pinnacle Lifetime Member for his contributions to Pediatrics and Neonatal Medicine.

Joseph R. Hageman, MD, FAAP, has devoted more than four decades to advancing pediatric and neonatal healthcare through clinical excellence, medical education, research, and quality improvement. Throughout his distinguished career, he has earned recognition as a leader in pediatrics, neonatology, pediatric intensive care, and medical publishing, impacting the lives of countless infants, children, families, and healthcare professionals.

Dr. Hageman’s expertise spans pediatrics, neonatal-perinatal medicine, pediatric intensive care, apnea consultation, sudden infant death syndrome prevention, clinical research, quality improvement, teaching, and medical writing. His dedication to improving outcomes for critically ill infants and children has made him a respected figure within both clinical and academic medicine.

He earned a Bachelor of Science in Pre-Medical Studies from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, before receiving his Doctor of Medicine with honors from the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago. He completed his pediatric residency and neonatal-perinatal medicine fellowship at Children’s Memorial Hospital of Chicago through the McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University between 1977 and 1982. He is board certified in both Pediatrics and Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatrics.

Over the course of his career, Dr. Hageman has served as a pediatrician, neonatologist, pediatric intensivist, pediatric hospitalist, educator, researcher, and editor. He provided care for medically complex pediatric patients at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and served as a consultant for infants with apnea and respiratory disorders for more than two decades. His clinical experience also includes leadership roles in neonatal intensive care and pediatric quality improvement initiatives.

Following an injury that ended his clinical practice, Dr. Hageman transitioned his focus toward academic medicine, research, education, and healthcare leadership. He currently serves as Director of Quality Improvement for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Comer Children’s Hospital and a Professor of Health Sciences at Touro University Illinois, where he teaches physician assistant students. He is also Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

An accomplished author and editor, Dr. Hageman has contributed more than 400 publications to the medical literature. He serves as Editor-in-Chief of Pediatric Annals and is a member of the Editorial Board for Neonatology Today. He also served as editor of the Illinois Pediatrician newsletter for 15 years and directed pediatric resident research at Comer Children’s Hospital from 2012 to 2016.

His professional affiliations include the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Association of SIDS Prevention Physicians, the American College of Critical Care Medicine, and numerous academic and medical organizations. Beyond his professional responsibilities, he actively supports charitable organizations including the March of Dimes, Doctors Without Borders, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Evanston Hospital, and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital.

Outside of medicine, Dr. Hageman enjoys traveling with his family, particularly to Puerto Rico, as well as playing basketball and baseball. He is also an avid collector of rare books, with a particular interest in the works of Charles Dickens.

Dr. Hageman credits much of his success to the mentorship of Thomas Gardner, MD, Carl Hunt, MD, and the memory of Stan Shulman, MD. He is especially grateful for the support of his wife of 46 years, Sally Williams Hageman, RN, BSN, their four children, and eleven grandchildren.

Guided by a philosophy of pleasant persistence and a deep commitment to caring for babies, children, and adolescents, Dr. Hageman continues to advance pediatric healthcare through education, research, quality improvement, and mentorship while inspiring the next generation of healthcare professionals.