Tariq Butt

Dr. Tariq Butt is a founding member of Access Community Health Network (ACCESS). Since 1991, Dr. Butt has been on the frontlines of community-based health care delivery as a board-certified family physician.

Dr. Butt has served as the Deputy Medical Officer at ACCESS since 2007. Under his leadership, more than 250 physicians and mid-level providers provide primary, preventive and specialty care to 200,000 adult and pediatric patients throughout the metropolitan Chicago area. He has been instrumental in creating a family practice training residency program model at ACCESS that enhances patient care and promotes community engagement. Dr. Butt’s commitment to quality health care in Illinois is evident by his leadership on influential health policy and physician committees, which includes being a member of the Public Health Committee for the Chicago Medical Society, delegate for the Chicago Medical Society and the Illinois State Medical Society, and a member of the Government Affairs Committee for the Illinois State Medical Society. Dr. Butt also serves as Chair of the Medical Disciplinary Board and is a physician consultant to the Bureau of Medicaid Integrity.

Dr. Butt is a truly active and engaged member of Chicago’s civic and philanthropic communities, serving on several foundations including the Otho S.A. Sprague Foundation, Portes Foundation and Snow City Arts Foundation. In addition to his passion for health care, Dr. Butt is an education advocate and champion serving more than 20 years (1995-2011) on the Chicago Board of Education, and is a former director of the Illinois Association of School Boards (1996-2011). He continues to serve as a member of the Steering Committee on the Council of Urban Boards of Education.

Dr. Butt is known for mentoring hundreds of students throughout his 30-year medical career. From the Ukraine to Turkey to Pakistan, students from across the globe seek out Dr. Butt for his experience and perspective on community health. Currently, Dr. Butt serves as a preceptor for the Mount Sinai Family Medicine Residency Program – one of the first of its kind in the Midwest to be based in a community health center​ setting. He also holds teaching appointments at the University of Illinois Medical College, Rush University Medical School (Chicago) and the University of Southern California (Los Angeles). He is also the Senior Advisory Board Member of the School-Based Pediatric Asthma Research Committee.

Dr. Butt’s strong ability to connect people and leverage resources have gained him international prestige as a global healthcare thoughtleader and visionary with a strong commitment to addressing health disparities. He has extensive experience building international partnerships to develop systems of care for medically underserved communities. Most recently, as part of the U.S. State Department medical exchange program, Dr. Butt studied the delivery of medical care in Turkey. Dr. Butt worked with Turkish physicians to implement World Health Organization (WHO) standard of care practices in the cities of Kiev and Leviv. He has also worked with government leaders and key officials across the globe to facilitate global health care collaborations and expand medical education best practices. Currently, Dr. Butt advises officials in Mexico City, Karachi, Dubai, Lahore and Kiev. His work has resulted in the development of a liver transplant center, improved oral health care practices, standardized H1N1 preparations and improved systems of care on a global level. Among his appointments are Chair of the Mexico City Health Committee, and advisor to the University of Southern California (Los Angeles) and the University of Illinois at Chicago on international health programs.

Dr. Butt serves an active voice in the Asian American community. He is the Founding Member of the Asian American Institute and Chair of the Chicago Lahore Committee of the Chicago Sister Cities International Program. Dr. Butt is often invited by government leaders and senior officials to represent the Asian American community on city, county and state Commissions.

Dr. Butt has received many prestigious awards including: The Loretta Lacey Advocacy (2003), for his work in child advocacy; The Horatio Alger Award (2002); was inducted into the Asian American Hall of Fame (2002); The American Heart Saver (2002); The American Heart Association (2002); The Chicago’s 1997 Big Hearts for Young Heroes; and The 1995 Pan-Asian American Award. He lives in Chicago with his wife and three children.