What role does Jessy Schram play in Chicago Med? Character details explored

Chicago Med is one of those shows that has held strong since its debut on NBC in 2015. It’s set inside the hectic halls of Gaffney Chicago Medical Center, where doctors and nurses tackle emergencies, perform intense surgeries, and deal with complicated relationships, both professionally and personally.

Part of NBC’s One Chicago family, along with shows like Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D., Chicago Med dives into the daily pressures healthcare workers face, highlighting their emotional struggles just as much as the medical cases.

Among the standout characters is Dr. Hannah Asher, who first showed up in Season 5 and immediately changed the dynamic of the ED. Played by actress Jessy Schram, Hannah quickly became a character people rooted for.

This was because of her complicated personal battles, but also because she brought a realistic struggle to the series that viewers could relate to.

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Everything you need to know about Jessy Schram's Dr. Hannah Asher in Chicago Med

Jessy Schram (Photo by Olivia Wong/Getty Images)

Jessy Schram portrays Dr. Hannah Asher on Chicago Med, and her journey has been complicated right from the start. She showed up during season 5 episode 12, Leave the Choice to Solomon, but fans first met her in a pretty shocking situation—at an illegal safe injection site.

Hannah, a skilled OB-GYN, was secretly battling a heroin addiction.

She managed to hide this from her coworkers at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center until Dr. Will Halstead recognized her at the injection site. It didn't help that Will knew the stakes and immediately questioned her ability to do her job safely.

Initially, their relationship was rocky, with threats to expose each other's secrets. But soon enough, they moved past that and even got romantically involved. Things went smoothly until season 6, when Hannah overdosed after a stressful argument with Will.

That overdose was a real turning point. After waking up in the ER, Hannah made the tough call to enter rehab again, and she decided leaving Chicago was her best shot at getting her life together.

She asked Will to join her, but he turned her down, believing she needed to recover without depending on him. That decision marked a clean break between them for a while.

Hannah returned in Season 7, Episode 16, May Your Choices Reflect Hope, Not Fear, after being sober for almost two years.

She wanted a fresh start, even though not everyone welcomed her back warmly—especially Dean Archer, who doubted she could stay clean.

Hannah worked hard to regain everyone's trust, and her focus shifted to rebuilding her career rather than rekindling old romances. Despite the awkwardness with Will, they stayed friends, and Hannah actually became someone Will trusted before he left Chicago in season 8.

In season 8, Hannah's past came back to haunt her physically. After surviving a fire in episode 1, doctors discovered talc crystals in her lungs, a result of her heroin use years earlier. It hit her hard—her past addiction wasn't something she could just erase.

Yet, she kept fighting and supporting her colleagues through their own struggles. One of the more surprising relationships she developed was with Archer and his son, Sean.

Hannah became an important person for Archer, especially when he struggled to trust Sean during his recovery from addiction.

Jessy Schram (Photo by Ella Hovsepian/Getty Images)

Hannah had some tough cases, too. In Season 9, Episode 5, I Make a Promise, I Will Never Leave You, she treated Kaitlin Neeley, who nearly died because doctors in her hometown refused to treat her miscarriage due to religious beliefs.

Hannah saved Kaitlin's life, emphasizing how she fights passionately for her patients. Throughout her journey, from addiction to sobriety and rebuilding trust, Hannah Asher has become a character fans root for—complicated, real, and committed to moving forward despite constant reminders of her past.

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Catch Chicago Med Season 10, which is Episode 16 on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, at 8/7c on NBC.