Chelsea Karson, MD

Dr. Chelsea Karson is a board-certified psychiatrist who completed her residency training at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital where she was Chief Resident of her program. Dr. Karson is passionate about patient care, believing in caring for the whole person. While completing her residency training, she led an interprofessional team to bring miniature-therapy horses to the inpatient psychiatry unit and thereby forge a relationship between the organization and all of Advocate Aurora Healthcare. Dr. Karson partnered with a mental health counselor to create a virtual therapy program of resources, the Bridge Project, to close the gap between inpatient and outpatient care that is now used throughout the Advocate Aurora network. At graduation Dr. Karson received the 2024 Advocate Lutheran General Hospital Ruggie Humanitarian Award.

The Ruggie Award selects and honors a graduating resident or fellow who displays academic excellence, commitment to the education of others, professional bearing, and a concern for the patient within the light of Human Ecology.  

Dr. Karson attended undergraduate at Elmhurst University, a biology major with minors in chemistry and medical humanities. She went to medical school at Rosalind Franklin University and was chosen to join the Gold Humanism Honor Society for her dedication to compassionate patient care.