Medical community loses a 'leader'
Area health professionals involved in the field of addiction are mourning the loss of one of the state's leading experts, Dr. Martin Doot, a Villa Park resident who passed away on Friday at the age of 60.
At the time of his passing, Dr. Doot served as associate medical director for Advocate Medical Group and chief of the addiction treatment program at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge.
"Marty leaves behind a legacy as a friend, educator, and thoughtful leader for our community," said John Sage, M.D., Lutheran General medical staff president.
Dr. Doot also served as president of the board of New Leaf Resources, a counseling center with a strong emphasis on addiction, based in Lansing, with offices in Elmhurst and Crown Point, Ind.
"If I had to name one person who was a driving force in making our organization what it is today, it would be Marty," says Terry Top, New Leaf Resources executive director. "He had the vision to get it going."
What he saw, Top says, were alcohol and addiction issues in the Christian community that were not being addressed. Consequently, with Dr. Doot's guidance, the organization formed family outreach teams, who were trained to do intervention to get people into treatment.
The former all-volunteer group now serves as a full scale counseling agency, but it continues to treat family members affected by addiction.
Dr. Doot completed his medical residency in family practice, but he later became certified with the American Society of Addiction Medicine. He completed both while at MacNeal Memorial Hospital in Berwyn, where he started its alcoholic treatment center.
In 1984, Dr. Doot joined the staff of Lutheran General. While serving as medical director of Parkside, the former name of its treatment center, and vice president of its Behavioral Health Center, he was named corporate medical director of Parkside Medical Services, overseeing its 50 treatment centers nationwide.
Dr. Doot had many articles published on the subject of addiction, particularly on the role of identifying alcoholism.
His 1994 article, "Screening for Alcoholism in a Community Hospital," was named one of the most cited articles in the "Journal of Family Practice."
Dr. Doot is survived by his wife Judy; children Jeffrey Martin (Janice), Travis (Stephanie), Jill (Brian) Case, and Lisa Doot; and two grandchildren.
Services already were held.