Highlights
Age Groups Seen
- Adult
Languages
- Tagalog
- English
Gender
FemaleAbout Ruth Lagman Lee
Biography
Ruth Lagman, MD, was born in Manilla, Philippines. She finished her Bachelor of Science in Zoology from the University of the Philippines in 1982. She obtained her Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Santo Tomas, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, in Manila in 1986. She then spent a clinical-internship year followed by a brief stint as a volunteer physician in rural Philippines. Her experience in rural Philippines motivated her to pursue a master's degree in Public Health at the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at Yale University with a concentration in the epidemiology of infectious disease. The degree was conferred in 1993 upon completion of her master's thesis.
Dr. Lagman did her internal medicine residency at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington, Conn., from 1990-1993. She then returned home to the Philippines and spent a year teaching at the College of Medicine at Angeles University in Pampanga, Philippines. In 1995, she entered the clinical fellowship program in Palliative Care at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. She then spent the next few years in private practice, in general internal medicine in the greater Chicago area.
She returned to Cleveland, Ohio, in July 2001 to join the medical staff of the Harry R. Horvitz Center for Palliative Medicine, Department of Hematology and Oncology, at Cleveland Clinic. She also has been appointed Director of Clinical Services of the Palliative Medicine program, and Medical Director of the Hospice of Cleveland Clinic. Her interests are music therapy and complementary and alternative medicine.
Dr. Lagman enjoys traveling, swimming and golf. She is married to Yew Sing Thomas Lee, an associate professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Locations
- CA Building - Taussig Cancer Center
- 10201 Carnegie Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106
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Education & Board Certifications
Education
- Graduate School: University of Massachusetts at Amherst, 2016
- Graduate School: University of Massachusetts, 2014
- Medical Education: Institute for Medical Studies, 2010
- Fellowship: Cleveland Clinic, 1996
- Residency: University of Connecticut Health Center/John Dempsey Hospital, 1993
- Graduate School: Yale University, 1990
- Internship: University of Santo Tomas Hospital, 1987
- Medical Education: University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Medicine & Surgery, 1986
- Undergraduate: University of the Philippines, 1982
Board Certifications
- Hospice and Palliative Medicine: American Board of Internal Medicine, 2010
- Internal Medicine: American Board of Internal Medicine, 1999
Additional Training
- Master of Public Health
Professional Memberships
Research & Publications
See publications for this provider. (Disclaimer: This search is powered by PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. PubMed is a third-party website with no affiliation with Cleveland Clinic.)
Industry Relationships
Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists collaborate with industry to advance medical breakthroughs. These partnerships help commercialize discoveries for public benefit while maintaining scientific integrity. To ensure transparency and minimize potential bias, Cleveland Clinic reviews these relationships and publicly discloses when physicians/scientists receive significant compensation for consulting, serve in fiduciary roles, receive royalties, or hold equity interests related to their work. We manage potential conflicts through approval processes, annual reporting, and targeted management plans.
As of 2025-04-16, Dr. Lagman Lee has reported no financial relationship with industry that is applicable to this listing.
In general, patients should feel free to contact their doctor about any of the relationships and how the relationships are overseen by Cleveland Clinic. To learn more about Cleveland Clinic's policies on collaborations with industry and innovation management, go to our Integrity in Innovation page.
Public Health Service-Reportable Financial Conflicts of Interest. Cleveland Clinic scientists and physicians engage in basic, translational and clinical research activities, working to solve health problems, enhance patient care and improve quality of life for patients. Interactions with industry are essential to bringing the researchers' discoveries to the public, but can present the potential for conflicts of interest related to their research activities. Click here to view a listing of instances where Cleveland Clinic has identified a Public Health Service (PHS)-Reportable Financial Conflict of Interest and has put measures in place to ensure that, to the extent possible, the design, conduct and reporting of the research is free from bias.
* Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists subscribe to the guidance presented in the PhRMA Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals and the AdvaMed Code of Ethics on Interactions with Health Care Professionals. As such, gifts of substantial value are generally prohibited.
Insurances Accepted
Video
Ratings & Reviews
4.9 out of 5
70 ratings, 16 reviewsThe Patient Satisfaction Rating is an average of all responses to the care provider related questions shown below from our survey. Patients that are treated in outpatient or hospital environments may receive different surveys, and the volume of responses will vary by question.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 4/6/2026
Dr. Lagmans staff are very knowledgeable and professional and nice.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 3/23/2026
The doctor always shows concern about my well-being.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 2/24/2026
Dr Ruth Lagman is amazing. She listens, ensures she is up to date on prior charts, labs and test results prior to arrival. I appreciate her guidance and insight as she oversees my palliative care for stage 4 cancer. I feel blessed to have her as part of my care team
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 12/29/2025
Dr Laggman is always clear in what she wants and is very easy to talk to. She's a good doctor
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 12/29/2025
Dr. Lagman is the hands down absolute best in palliative care. She cares genuinely, which is hard to find these days. I would recommend her and any doctor that is part of my care team at Cleveland clinic to anyone. My experience dealing with the Cleveland clinic has been nothing but amazing. I love the Cleveland clinic.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 11/20/2025
I wouldn't want any other doctor . Always a pleasure
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 11/7/2025
Dr Lagman is a wonderful doctor and I love German. She listens to me completely and then tells it like it is. The truth. Doesn't sugar coat anything. I respect that in a doctor. Especially with everything I've gone through medically and physically this year.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 11/7/2025
Dr. Lagman is very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 11/7/2025
Always a pleasant experience with Dr. Lagman
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 10/9/2025
Dr. Lagman is very kind and thorough. The telemedicine appt was just as thorough as an in-person appt.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 10/9/2025
I always recommend Cleve Clinic for care because the the doctors, nurses and other staff are so friendly and helpful
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 10/9/2025
Dr. Lagman and the nurse were very pleasant, knowledgeable and helpful
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 7/2/2025
Convenient appointment during treatment. Dr Ruth very thorough in understanding needs and what to do to help offset side effects from treatments.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 6/17/2025
Dr lagman is very welcoming
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 6/10/2025
I am very comfortable with Dr. Lagman and respect her approach to caring.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 6/10/2025
She is a very compassionate and unknowledgeable and awesome doctor