Terry Mason

As CEO of the Cook County Health and Hospitals System, Dr. Terry Mason heads up the third largest public healthcare system in the country. In this role, Dr. Mason oversees the delivery of healthcare to nearly 1 million Cook County patients – many of whom have no insurance or are underinsured. Prior to joining the County Health System, Dr. Mason, who is a practicing urologist, served as the Commissioner of Public Health for the City of Chicago. There, he modernized the department and helped to raise public awareness on a variety of health issues. He managed the H1N1 outbreak in 2009 and developed a strategic partnership with City Colleges to immunize over 90,000 people in Chicago during that outbreak. He’s been a tireless advocate for healthy living and every year he asks Chicagoans to join him in his Restart Program – where he challenges people to go meatless for a month and only eat a plant based diet. He has also hosted a weekly radio show for almost 15 years doling out advice, answering questions and promoting a healthy lifestyle. Dr. Mason is a graduate of Loyola University and the Abraham Lincoln School of Medicine and a lifelong resident of Chicago.