Jonathan LaPook | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chief medical correspondent for CBS News | |
| assumed position 2013 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Jonathan David LaPook Mineola, New York, U.S. |
| Profession | physician |
Jonathan David LaPook is an American board-certified physician ininternal medicine andgastroenterology who is the Chief Medical Correspondent forCBS News. Named the Mebane Professor of Gastroenterology in 2013, he is Professor of Medicine atNYU Langone Medical Center and has an active medical practice inNew York City. He joinedCBS News in 2006.[1]
When LaPook joined CBS News,The New York Observer reported on the hire as a trend away from professional journalists covering expert fields and a tendency toward hiringsubject matter experts to do journalism.[2]
LaPook was born inMineola, N.Y., the son of Elsa (née Eisenbud) and Sidney LaPook, a dentist and World War II veteran (1928–2018).[3][4][5] He has three sisters: Judith LaPook, Nancy LaPook Diamond, and Corinne LaPook.[4] He graduated with honors fromYale University andColumbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, receiving his M.D. in 1980. He completed aresidency in internal medicine and a fellowship in gastroenterology at theNew York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center.
He is married to Kate Lear, daughter of legendary TV producerNorman Lear.[6] The couple has two sons.[7]
In 1986, LaPook began an active practice in gastroenterology and internal medicine at Columbia.[6] He continued to teach at Columbia University Medical Center and became Professor of Medicine. He is a published author, and is especially focused on educating the public about health issues. LaPook is the founder of the NYU Langone Empathy Project, whose goal is to improve the interaction between health professionals and patients by creating acurriculum on video that teaches empathy to doctors, nurses, and all members of the healthcare community.[8][9]
In 2006, LaPook joined anchorKatie Couric at the "CBS Evening News" as Medical Correspondent. In 2013, he was named Chief Medical Correspondent for CBS News, appearing regularly onCBS Mornings," the "CBS Evening News"CBS Radio, andCBS News Streaming. He has interviewed patients, healthcare providers, researchers, thought-leaders, and government officials, includingPresident Obama twice, in an attempt to provide insight and perspective on a wide range of health and medical subjects.[10]
In 2014, LaPook founded The Empathy Project at NYU Langone Medical Center, whose premise is that a good interpersonal relationship between patient and caregiver is critical to excellent medical care. The Empathy Project seeks to promote a culture ofempathy in medicine—to educate patients to expect and demand it, and to train healthcare providers to be more humane and effective. It will bring together leaders in medicine, technology and entertainment, and create short films that will highlight important issues between patient and medical caregiver.
LaPook has won fiveEmmy awards for his coverage in 2012 of the national shortage of drugs, for team coverage in 2013 of theBoston Marathon bombings, 2019 for Sunday Morning, Outstanding Program; in 2020 for Sunday Morning, Outstanding Program and in 2021 for CBS Mornings/CBS This Morning, Outstanding Live News Program. LaPook was also named a George Foster Peabody Award finalist in 2018 for two60 Minutes investigative reports on theUSA Gymnastics sexual abuse scandal. In September, 2025, Dr. LaPook gave the keynote address and was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from theStoneygate Centre for Empathic Healthcare. In 2024 he received two awards for CBS News: Hospitals in Peril:https://www.headlinerawards.org/2024-tv-radio/ andNew York Press Club award . He has won twoEdward R. Murrow Awards for "Best Broadcast" in 2007 and 2013.[11] He also won a 2015New York Press Club Award for Journalism for "Eye onEbola"WCBS-AM News Team Special. Dr. LaPook was awarded a Drama Desk Awardhttps://dramadesks.com/ for his work as medical contributor to “Stars in the House” in 2020, keeping the entertainment community informed throughout the coronavirus pandemic. In 2010, he was recognized in the Webby Awards for his documentary seriesDoc Dot Com.[10]