Dr. Tom Rudd and his wife, Mary, have been residents of Lake County, Il. since the early 1980's. Dr. Rudd began his practice in the medical specialties of Pathology and Nuclear Medicine in the county in 1979. He is the product of a parochial school education, a graduate of Loyola Academy High School and received his bachelors degree in Psychology and Biology from Loyola University in Chicago. He attended the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago graduating in 1974. After medical school he under took several years of extensive and advanced training at Northwestern University Medical School in Anatomic Pathology (autopsies and surgical specimens), Clinical Pathology (body fluid analysis). This was followed with a Fellowship in Nuclear Medicine (imaging and treating the human body with radio-isotopes) at Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center.

He achieved board certification in all of those disciplines and remained current in those areas by taking and passing re-certifying exams. Actively practicing those medical specialties for more than 30 years has given Dr. Rudd extensive medical, business and administrative skills and experience which will add important and significant value to the office of coroner.

His first 15 years were in the private practice of Pathology and Nuclear Medicine at both Highland Park  and Lake Forest hospitals. He assisted in conceiving, creating and implementing a joint venture laboratory between these two competing hospitals (HPH and LFH) with installation of one of the first laboratory information systems (LIS) in the Midwest. Dr Rudd became Co-Medical Director of this newly formed joint venture known as Consolidated Medical Laboratories (CML) which at its peak had over 120 employees and a budget of $25 million. This joint venture was one of the first of its kind nationally. Cost savings to both hospital were truly significant with a reduction of duplicate equipment as certain testing was established at one site for both client hospitals.

At the same time, Dr Rudd, was the Medical Director of Hematology, Coagulation and Urinalysis in the clinical lab at both hospitals (HPH and LFH). He developed cost savings programs such as implementing automated hematology blood counts that significantly reduced costs, supplies and time in performing these important procedures all of which allowed medical personnel to perform in other areas of the lab.

Once the consolidated laboratory was in place and operating successfully the hospital directors requested that the pathology group seek and obtain hospital physician outpatient testing. This was done successfully producing $7 million of additional revenue to the two hospitals in the first year of attempting this.

As Vice-Chairman of Highland Park Hospital Pathology and Nuclear Medicine Departments Dr. Rudd was in charge of the Quality Appropriateness and Quality Assurance committees reducing costly errors and unnecessary testing of patients.

After private practice, Dr. Rudd was employed by a large national commercial laboratory. Shortly after arriving he was made Regional Medical Director of Anatomic Pathology overseeing the processing, diagnosing and reporting of 80000 surgical pathology biopsies and 600000 cytology pap smears.

Prior to obtaining his medical degree, Dr. Rudd, obtained a Masters of Science in the fields of Microbiology and Molecular Biology. This degree qualifies him in analyzing and interpreting microbiologic disease in the public health realm as well as responding and investigating terrorist or industrial incidents.

Dr. Rudd's specialty of Nuclear Medicine includes his role as a Radiation Safety Officer. This allows him to respond, react and treat victims of radiation terrorist attacks (so called "dirty bombs") or industry radiation accidents and events. This includes skills on performing autopsies on the accident victims as well as protecting the responders to the scene of the radiation investigation.

In summary, Dr. Rudd is a highly qualified physician pathologist in the fields of Anatomic and Clinical Pathology, Nuclear Medicine, Radiation Safety and Medical Microbiology with a proven track record of experience providing a platform to work collaboratively as the coroner with law enforcement, public health, social services, the public and court system including both the prosecutor and the defense bar.

He is by far the best and most qualified individual for the position of coroner since he is the only physician-pathologist candidate running for that office.

And finally, it should be noted that Dr. Rudd was born in this country of working class parents and has experienced first hand the benefits of having worked very hard in this great country of ours. He feels it is time to give back and share those talents with which this country so richly rewarded him. His election as Lake County Coroner will enhance and advance the important mission of that office.