Better known as “Lucky” among his colleagues, Dr. Bhagat S. Aulakh is venerated for his commitment to patient care, pulmonary medicine and community involvement. In addition to his duties as medical director of critical care at the Illinois Lung & Critical Care Institute, Dr. Aulakh shares his knowledge and experience as a faculty member at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria and medical director for OSF Saint Francis Medical Center’s Critical Care departments.
Dr. Aulakh is helping to develop curricula for the future Neurological Critical Care Department at OSF, has served as an advisor for the implementation of therapeutic hypothermia in the OSF ICU, and championed the development of numerous multidisciplinary lung cancer and COPD clinics.
Demonstrating a strong commitment to the community, Dr. Aulakh is a member of the Boy Scouts of America’s National Honor Society, the Order of the Arrow. He is involved with Better Breathers, the American Heart Association and Easter Seals, and has helped with events such as Party for a Purpose, Peoria Heart & Stroke Ball and Passage to India. Dr. Aulakh also participates in the Heartline & Heart House Eureka Race, helps organize community kitchens and blood drives, and is active with the Hindu Temple of Central Illinois. Next year, he and his wife will co-chair a campaign to empower youth to speak up against tobacco use.
Among his long list of accomplishments, Dr. Aulakh is an American College of Chest Physicians fellow; past UICOMP Senior Resident of the Year, Internal Medicine; Off-Service Emergency Department Rotator of the Year; Internal Medicine Resident of the Year; and Emergency Department Rotating Resident of the Year. He is an author or co-author of more than 20 research projects and presentations and is functional or fluent in nine languages.
A dedicated husband and father, Dr. Aulakh is active at Hickory Grove Elementary School, where he encourages students and teachers to adopt healthy lifestyles and embrace the value of racial and cultural diversity. iBi
