Dr. Bernard Moore, Alexian Brothers pioneer, dies at 84

Dr. Bernard J. Moore held the distinction of being named “physician of the year” three times by his colleagues at Alexian Brothers Medical Center, a feat not matched by any other staff member.

The honor recognized Moore's vital role in developing the hospital's emergency medicine department and in training its paramedics, as well as his leadership among his peers and devotion to his patients.

Dr. Moore passed away Monday at the age of 84.

“He was a statesman on our medical staff,” said Dr. Debra Susie-Lattner, who in 2004 succeeded Dr. Moore as vice president of medical affairs at Alexian. “He was very, very well thought of here.”

Dr. Moore started his medical career as a family practitioner, joining the Arlington Heights practice of Dr. Robert Muench in 1956. He was part of the founding medical staff at Northwest Community Hospital when it opened in 1959.

“He did everything as a family practitioner,” Susie-Lattner said. “He did surgery and delivered hundreds of babies. He was that old-fashioned, Marcus Welby kind of neighborhood doctor.”

Dr. Moore is described as one of Alexian Brothers' “pioneer physicians,” having joined its founding medical staff in 1966. In 1971, he was elected president of the medical staff.

He later became board certified as the hospital's first emergency physician and set out to establish a specialized emergency department.

“He consolidated services into the contemporary emergency medicine model of care,” Susie-Lattner says. “And he oversaw its growth for the next 20 years.”

When Dr. Stanley Zydlo developed the Emergency Medical Services system at Northwest Community as the first multi-community system in Illinois, Alexian Brothers was one of its first associate hospitals.

Dr. Moore was one of the physicians who helped to train paramedics, and he continued in that role, providing early job training as well as continuing education.

“He was our point person at Alexian Brothers,” said Connie Mattera, EMS administrative director at Northwest Community Hospital. “Besides all of his teaching, he served on our advisory board and was just always willing to help.”

Mattera points out that what started with training 70 paramedics in 1972 has grown to include 24 provider agencies, 950 paramedics and 400 emergency medical technicians.

“The system has certainly grown over the years, but we wouldn't have been so successful without those great pioneers like Dr. Zydlo and Dr. Moore,” Mattera says. “They gave us such a great foundation to build on.”

Dr. Moore didn't stop there. After building the emergency department, he took on the role of vice president of medical affairs, where he oversaw the credentialing and privileges of all about 1,000 attending physicians, as well as medical staff governance and peer review.

He attempted to retire in 2001, but hospital officials called him back to take over medical affairs again from 2003 to 2004.

“Even after he retired, he still volunteered here,” said Veronica Herrera-Sanchez, director of medical affairs. “He really was the face of Alexian Brothers and a wonderful ambassador.”