The Champaign County Medical Society recently announced Dr. Ashok Jagasia will receive the Community Service Award as one of the 2022 Physician Champion Award recipients.
Dr. Ashok Jagasia is an otolaryngologist (ENT) with a long and robust history of volunteer work and community service locally and internationally. He successfully launched the first model system providing ENT care to homeless communities in Chicago, rural counties of Central Illinois, and the Dominican Republic.
In Illinois, his efforts have led to the establishment of the Center for Underserved at Rush Medical Center ENT (CURE initiative) as well as at the CU at Home shelter. Additional work with homeless populations includes integrating telemedicine programs of video visits alternating with in person visits. He has provided care for patients at the Gibson Area Hospital as well as many of the rural counties in Central Illinois with the objective to develop an Urban-Rural Health Initiative. Current activities include development of a book chapter related to “Understanding Rural-Urban Disparities in Otolaryngology.”
Internationally, he has provided hundreds of ENT surgical procedures over 10 years as well as audiology services in the Dominican Republic. He trained local health care workers to provide free hearing screens to children and established a sustainable collection program of donated hearing aids. His research focuses on assessing incidence and needs regarding hearing loss and appropriate interventions. Dr. Jagasia has relentlessly championed the cause for overcoming the health disparities in otolaryngology through volunteering and integrated with his research efforts.