Paying Tribute to Dr. Lester Hartman

(January 2026)

MHQP mourns the loss of Lester Hartman, MD, pediatrician, lifelong advocate for patient-centered care and data-based improvement, and dear friend of our organization. Dr. Hartman was a mainstay at Westwood Mansfield Pediatrics, where he practiced for decades before retiring as senior partner in 2021.

“Lester was at first skeptical, but then a great champion of MHQP’s patient experience surveys. He took the results of MHQP’s surveys to continuously improve that care of his patients and families, especially in the area of patient engagement,” recalls MHQP President and CEO, Barbra Rabson. “He was a great man, doctor, and public health champion, and he made this world a better place.”

Dr. Hartman was kind enough to appear in a video MHQP produced for its 25^th anniversary in 2020. You can see his comments at timestamp 6:09.

You can read more about Dr. Hartman’s life and legacy in his obituary, which can be found here.