What role did Kristen Hager play in Chicago Med? Character details explored

NBC’s medical drama Chicago Med first aired on November 17, 2015, becoming an important part of the popular One Chicago series. Created by Dick Wolf and Matt Olmstead, the show takes place in Gaffney Chicago Medical Center’s busy emergency department.

It shows the day-to-day lives of doctors, nurses, and staff as they deal with intense medical situations, personal struggles, and ethical problems. Over its 10 seasons, characters have come and gone, some quickly and others sticking around for years.

Kristen Hager was one of those new faces introduced in the seventh season after original cast members Yaya DaCosta and Torrey DeVitto left the series.

Hager joined as Dr. Stephanie “Stevie” Hammer, debuting in the first episode of season 7.

Although Hager only stayed for half a season, her character quickly grabbed attention because of her complicated personal story, especially the relationship with her mother, Terri.

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Who did Kristen Hager play in Chicago Med?

Kristen Hager (Photo by Ian Blakeman/WireImage)

As mentioned, Kristen Hager played Dr. Stephanie "Stevie" Hammer, an emergency physician on NBC's Chicago Med. Stevie first showed up in the Season 7 premiere after previously working at Beaumont Hospital near Detroit.

Right from the start, it became clear Stevie’s story was messy, particularly due to her unstable relationship with her mother, Terri Hammer, who was homeless and battling drug and alcohol addiction.

Stevie tried to help, but Terri regularly refused medical assistance. Things got complicated when Stevie's professional life clashed with her personal life; her mother secretly became a patient at Gaffney, getting treatment from Dr. Charles for bipolar disorder.

Stevie struggled to accept that Terri didn't tell her she was right there in the same hospital.

Eventually, Stevie and Terri started rebuilding their relationship after Terri got proper mental health care. During the season, Stevie's relationship with her medical school classmate, Dr. Will Halstead, had some romantic tension, but nothing ever truly developed between them.

After resolving her mother's health crisis, Stevie decided to move back to Michigan to give her marriage another shot. Although Hager left the series halfway through season 7, producers hinted Stevie's return could still be possible, leaving her storyline open-ended.

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Why did Kristen Hager leave Chicago Med?

Kristen Hager (Photo by Suzi Pratt/WireImage)

Kristen Hager left Chicago Med halfway through season 7 because the producers felt her character's main story had been wrapped up. Hager played Dr. Stevie Hammer, an emergency doctor at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center, who had a complicated relationship with her mom, Terri.

Throughout the first half of season 7, Stevie tried helping her mother deal with homelessness and addiction.

Eventually, it turned out Terri was bipolar and had been secretly getting treatment at the hospital. After Dr. Charles revealed Terri's diagnosis, Stevie and her mom finally began fixing their strained relationship. Producers felt this was a natural stopping point for Stevie's story.

According to the showrunners Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider, Stevie’s personal storyline about her mom had reached a natural conclusion. They said openly that they felt they'd explored all they could about her family drama.

With that settled, Stevie decided to give her marriage another chance. She moved back to Michigan to reconcile with her husband, Andrew, leaving Gaffney behind.

The show's creators also made clear that Hager left on good terms. They praised her as a strong performer and said Stevie Hammer could easily return in future episodes, as her character wasn’t killed off or permanently written out.

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The next episode of Chicago Med season 10, which is episode 16, titled Poster Child, will air on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, at 8/7c on NBC.