In Memoriam: Jerod M. Loeb, PhD
Water Quality & Health Council member Jerod M. Loeb, PhD passed away on October 9, 2013 after a courageous battle with cancer. For 20 years, Dr. Loeb contributed his considerable expertise in health care quality and performance, risk assessment, risk communication and scientific ethics to the Council. He continued to work assiduously after his diagnosis and through chemotherapy, including providing valuable feedback on his healthcare from the new perspective of a patient.
Over the course of more than two decades, deep friendships have grown among the members of the Water Quality & Health Council and meetings have become both intellectually fruitful and simply enjoyable as friends greet and update one another on their careers and families. We feel privileged to have counted Jerod Loeb among us. We have all benefited from his insight, wit and experience. We will miss his presence in our face-to-face meetings and many email exchanges. At a June, 2013 meeting of the group in Chicago, Dr. Loeb was given an “Esteemed Member” award in recognition of his many contributions to the Water Quality & Health Council.
A remarkable career
Dr. Loeb was Executive Vice President of Healthcare Quality Evaluation at The Joint Commission in Oakbrook Terrace, IL. At The Joint Commission he played a leadership role in identifying, evaluating and implementing performance measures across the wide variety of accreditation and certification programs. He was involved in a variety of national and international initiatives associated with performance measurement and patient safety, including those of the National Quality Forum, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the International Society for Quality in Health Care, and the World Health Organization.
Dr. Loeb produced more than 160 publications. He was the recipient of many grant awards from the federal government and other sources, served on numerous national and international advisory bodies and as a referee for several scientific journals – including the Journal of the American Medical Association and the New England Journal of Medicine.
In 2012, Dr. Loeb was presented with an Honorary Lifetime Achievement Award by the National Quality Forum and The Joint Commission as part of the John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards. The award recognized Dr. Loeb’s extraordinary and sustained contributions to health care quality and patient safety in his leadership role identifying, evaluating and implementing performance measures across the wide variety of Joint Commission accreditation and certification programs.
A remarkable person
As a community volunteer, Dr. Loeb worked with the Buffalo Grove (IL) Fire and Police Departments since 1998. He was a graduate of the Buffalo Grove Citizen’s Fire Academy and was a fully trained member of the Buffalo Grove Community Emergency Response Team. In 2005, he was appointed Commissioner of Fire and Police for the municipality of Buffalo Grove.
Dr. Loeb is survived by his proud and loving family–his wife, Sherri, and their daughters, Jen and Becca—and will be remembered fondly by countless friends and colleagues. The Water Quality & Health Council will miss him dearly.