The Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine is comprised of a diverse group of faculty experienced in all of the field’s subspecialties, including cardiac, transplantation, neurosurgical, obstetrics, trauma, general surgery, plastics, surgical oncology, urology, pediatrics, and acute and chronic pain. As M1s and M2s, Stritch physicians-in-training are involved through the Anesthesia Preceptorship Enrichment Program. In addition, M3s and M4s rotate on our many services (Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine) via clinical electives. Since members of the department participate in over 25,000 anesthetics per year, Stritch physicians-in-training can experience the specialty’s full breadth and depth.   

Learn about our GME training programs include the anesthesiology residency, pain management fellowship, and adult cardiothoracic anesthesiology fellowship. 

Physicians-in-training are also actively involved with quality improvement and clinical and basic science research. This participation has contributed strongly to the department’s history of excellence, especially in cardiovascular, neurosurgical, and trauma anesthesia. Our basic and clinical research initiatives have helped expand the boundaries of medical knowledge; faculty contribute their research papers to leading medical journals in basic science, clinical anesthesiology, surgery, and critical care. 

Steven Edelstein, MD, Professor and Chair 

The Stritch Department of Emergency Medicine is the academic partner of the Emergency Department of Loyola University Medical Center. Faculty care for patients; teach and mentor physicians-in-training, and conduct research.   

Collaborating within the university and outside organizations has allowed us to manage various studies and programs benefiting patients and the field of Emergency Medicine. Our educational divisions enhance an understanding of the fields of Toxicology, Emergency Medical Services, and Disaster Medicine. Physician research interests have led to advances in the delivery and processes of care. Our research collaborations with Illinois Department of Public Health through the Emergency Medical Services for Children grants have and continue to address questions affecting the overall care of children in Illinois Emergency Departments. 

Shannon C. Lovett, MD, FACEP, Interim Chair and Associate Professor

The Department of Family Medicine houses a diverse, interprofessional team of people who are dedicated to research, teaching, and outstanding patient care. The family medicine principle of approaching every patient in the context of their family, their support system, and the community, drives everything we do. We also strive to provide the best and most supportive environment for the personal and professional growth of our learners and each other. Through collaboration, the individuals who comprise the Department of Family Medicine work to improve the health and lives of everyone we can. 

Aaron Michelfelder, MD, FAAFP, FAAMA 
Chair, Dept. of Family Medicine 
Co-Director, Institute for Transformative Interprofessional Education (I-TIE), Professor of Family Medicine, Bioethics & Health Policy, and Medical Education

Welcome to the Department of Medicine at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. 

When I became the Department’s John W. Clarke Chair in July 2022, I joined a history of distinguished leaders and became the Department’s first female chair. An awareness of the importance of balancing education, research, and patient care while serving the unique needs of each stakeholder in our community permeates the medical school and our Department. 

The Department is the largest in the system with 180 distinguished physician faculty across 11 divisions, including esteemed emeriti faculty, 218 postgraduate trainees (114 are training in Internal Medicine and 16 are in Med/Peds). Most divisions have vibrant fellowship programs; the department has 88 fellows. Medical students and trainees recognize outstanding faculty with an annual Honor Roll reception.  

Research endeavors include NIH-funded studies, industry-sponsored clinical trials, and investigator-initiated biomedical research. These initiatives advance medical knowledge and translate into enhanced patient care and outcomes. Research projects and mentors are highlighted in the Rudi Garg Annual Department of Medicine Research Day. 

At the helm of our leadership is a distinguished cabinet, guiding our strategic initiatives and decisions. This includes Vice Chairs for these eight areas: Clinical Affairs; Diversity and Inclusion; Research; Education; Quality; Graduate Medical Education; Strategy, and Community Outreach. Together, we are committed to shaping the future of healthcare through collaboration, innovation, and compassionate care. 

Join us in exploring the Department’s exciting opportunities. We strive to uphold the highest standards in academic medicine with a dynamic, nationally and internationally reknown faculty who enjoy preparing future leaders in healthcare.  

Marilyn Glassberg Csete

John W. Clarke Chair and Professor, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine

The Department of Neurology faculty has a broad interest in the various facets of neurology and related clinical neurosciences. Their collective expertise offers impressive teaching and research opportunities.   

The Department’s goals are three-fold: deliver the best evidence-based medical care, educate medical students, residents, and other healthcare professionals, and conduct seminal research in the clinical and basic sciences. 

We offer unlimited opportunities for medical students, residents, and fellows to work closely with our expert clinicians as well as with a diverse faculty dedicated to advancing medical science through clinical and basic science research. Research faculty enhance our educational programs by offering residents opportunities to participate in developing new approaches to translational research.   

José Biller, MD, FACP, FAAN, FANA, FAHA 
Professor and Chair  
Director, Stroke Center, Loyola University Medical Center 

It is an absolute honor and pleasure to welcome you to the Department of Neurosurgery.

We take great pride in our top-notch faculty who are committed to research and teaching medical students and residents. We are consistently ranked as one of the nation’s top hospitals for neurosurgery and are firmly dedicated to providing state-of-the-art, compassionate patient care, conducting pioneering research, and training the next generation of neurosurgeons. Loyola University Health System is a quaternary care, Level-1 Trauma hospital that provides comprehensive neurosurgical care to patients locally, nationally, and throughout the world.

There are countless, ongoing research projects that span clinical to basic science investigation, including skull base, cerebrovascular/endovascular, neuro-oncology, spine, pediatrics, functional, and trauma. Through our collaborations with basic scientists at Stritch and Loyola Medicine, including those with NIH R01 and other intramural and extramural funding, we are conducting pioneering, multidisciplinary research to hopefully improve outcomes of individuals suffering from brain and spine tumors, strokes, hemorrhages, spinal deformities, epilepsy, and movement disorders, among other devastating neurological conditions. Our faculty are involved in discerning the role of skull base tumor genetics with the pathophysiology of these tumors, developing machine learning models to predict tumor characteristics and surgical complications, understanding the role of the surrounding milieu with glioblastoma pathogenesis, identifying the molecular composition of radiation- induced meningiomas, evaluating patient outcomes from minimally-invasive brain bleed evacuations, developing individualized, preoperative instrumentation to correct spinal deformity, creating leading edge technology to help neck and back pain, and numerous other projects.

Our team routinely publishes over 75 peer-reviewed articles, textbooks, and chapters annually and delivers hundreds of local, regional, and national/international lectures at organized neurosurgery meetings throughout the world. We have a weekly Educational Conference and didactic conferences focused on research and recently published journal articles every other week. As importantly, we educate our trainees and medical students about the importance of the non-technical aspects of being a neurosurgeon. There are myriad opportunities for medical students to participate and we encourage them to get involved with faculty and resident research projects, attend departmental conferences, and participate in Stritch’s Student Chapter of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and Neurosurgery Interest Group (NSIG).

The department offers an M4 sub-internship to Stritch students as well as qualified students from other medical schools. The majority of students completing the four-week sub-internship are applying for neurosurgery residency, but we welcome anyone interested in learning more about the field. The sub-internship is a strong educational experience, as rotating students will gain meaningful knowledge of neurosurgical disease processes and build skills, including conducting the neurological examination and interpreting radiological studies. Assisting with bedside procedures (such as ventriculostomies and lumbar drains) and with surgical procedures in the operating room are integral parts of the rotation. Sub-interns are assigned to the inpatient neurosurgical service at Loyola University Medical Center and generally will work with every resident and attending during the rotation; time is devoted primarily to inpatient care in the Neuroscience ICU and floor, as well as in the OR. Students also will receive some exposure to the outpatient clinic. To gain full exposure to patient care, we encourage sub-interns to take in-house call with neurosurgery residents one night per week. Near the end of the rotation, sub-interns are asked to give a 10-minute presentation on a neurosurgical topic of their choice.

We are so excited to highlight our achievements as you learn more about our department. We invite you to contact us so we can share more information about the many opportunities available for trainees. We look forward to meeting with you, introducing our team, and helping you learn more about this department’s incredible work. 

Anand V. Germanwala, M.D., Interim Chair, Professor and Residency Program Director  

The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology is dedicated to providing excellent patient care, offering exceptional education, and conducting important research. Our department is committed to serving women's health needs by offering comprehensive and compassionate care in the Jesuit tradition of men and women in the service of others. 

In addition to providing excellent patient care, our department is proud to offer a robust educational program for medical students, residents, and fellows. Our faculty are not only renowned clinicians but also passionate educators who are committed to training the next generation of healthcare professionals. We provide hands-on clinical experience, didactic teaching, and research opportunities to ensure that our trainees receive the best possible education. 

Research is a vital component of our department's mission. We engage in important research initiatives to advance the field of obstetrics and gynecology. Our faculty are involved in a wide range of research areas, including reproductive health, maternal-fetal medicine, gynecologic oncology, and urogynecology. Through our research endeavors, we aim to improve patient outcomes, develop innovative treatments, and contribute to the body of knowledge in women's health.

Ronald K. Potkul, MD, FACS, FACOG

Mary Isabelle Caestecker Professor and Chair 

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

It is a pleasure to provide this update on the department’s recent accomplishments and future directions.

Our focus remains on collaboration and mentorship in the core missions of academic health care: patient care, education, research, and service. The department’s solid reputation continues to grow through our relationships with alumni, clinical colleagues, and research partners at other institutions in Chicago, across the country and across the world. 

We have expanded patient care services in scope and depth at Loyola Medicine and Hines VA (HVA) have expanded in scope and depth. We have 55 full- and part-time clinical and research faculty. Three were recognized again in the Chicago Magazine Top Doctors 2024 (Charles Bouchard, Felipe de Alba and James McDonnell). As part of our 2024 Annual Report celebrating 10 years of patient care, education, research, and global service at Loyola and HVA, we cared for 430,000 patients over this 10-year period.

Our Educational Programs remain strong, with a sustained focus on our three target audiences: medical students (UME), residents (GME) and practicing ophthalmologists and optometrists (CME). We continue to offer one of the best resident training programs in Chicago and the Midwest and our department continues to lead the way in educational technology. We sponsor an annual citywide surgical wet lab as a service to the 66 residents from the six Chicago area training programs as part of our Cataract Glaucoma Symposium as a “Surgical Summit.” Our educational and research programs have been supported over the years by generous annual gifts from the Perritt Charitable Foundation.

Additional CME programs offer outstanding content for local, regional and national attendees. These include our Faculty-Alumni Day, Chicago Subspecialty Guest Lecture Series, World Mission Symposium, DEI Speaker Series, and our annual Richard A. Perritt Vision Research Symposium.

The department’s growing and innovative research programs  are reflected in the publications and presentations faculty have produced over the last 10 years. Evan Stubbs, Jr., PhD, continues to serve as the director of Research with eight additional full-time research faculty as well as our Research Administrator, Joo Hong. Every year, the department submits and receives important research grant support from the Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness (ISPB). In addition, in 2024, a Stritch students (Maha Khokhar), received the Donna Dreiske Award for best medical student research grant in Chicago.

Faculty continue to receive major funding from the Richard A. Perritt Charitable Foundation. In addition to ISPB, funding from the Department of Veterans Affairs and from the National Institutes of Health support our research activities.  Each resident is assigned a faculty mentor for research, with the goal of each resident submitting an ARVO presentation and manuscript. Faculty also attend and present at ARVO annually, as well as at other, nationally recognized conferences; faculty promote our research programs through collegial networking.

Another testament to faculty mentorship: Loyola residents have received at least one of the three Beem Fisher Awards in nine of the last 14 years with Loyola residents receiving first place awards for seven years. The Chicago Ophthalmological Society (COS) presents these awards, which recognize outstanding research by Chicago area residents. 

The department’s commitment to international service has grown; we sponsor one to two trips annually, supported in part by the Stamm Foreign Mission endowment. Our April 2024 trip to  Nasir Hospital was the first in our Chica-GO (Global Ophthalmology) initiative to provide global eye health training as well as an international experience for Chicago area residents.

Our excellent professional and administrative staff complete our team and support the department’s efforts to maintain its role as an academic and educational leader in the Midwest. In our academic offices, clinics, operating rooms, and research labs, our staff helps manage patient care, educational events, research programs, and more. I appreciate the contributions and dedication of the staff.

Thank you for your interest in the department. I welcome your feedback and appreciate your continued support.

Warmly,

Charles S. Bouchard, MD, MA 

John P. Mulcahy Professor and Chair (He/his), Department of Ophthalmology

Our Department’s brand is one of family and being one of the greatest Otolaryngology programs in the country. I am proud to say that we have some of the greatest faculty, surgeons, residents, nurses, and staff in the country. Everyone who comes to visit our “family” walks away with an understanding of how much we truly care about each other and how deep the department’s talents run. We take pride in the fact that we do the most complex cases in the state and care for the sickest patients in the region. While I may be at the helm steering this ship, it is the people within that make our ship one of the best in the country. 

Prior to becoming chair of the department, I was program director for many years, which provided me with a unique insight and ability to better integrate the education, research and patient care aspects of the department. My intimate knowledge and experience has allowed for a much more comprehensive program for the trainees as well as patients seeking care.   
 
Our department has always focused on providing our patients with the highest quality care, providing our residents with unparalleled education, and advancing our field through clinical and translational research. We have built this success on a strong positive culture of support and well-being.  As we have grown over the years, our bonds have as well. With numerous faculty in each subspecialty, we are poised for both great patient care and great education. We have purposefully omitted fellows from our program because we believe residents should have the full benefit of every opportunity. This truly has made our program the “Fellowship of Residencies.” Our residents see and do cases often taken by fellows and leave with an unparalleled training experience.  We support our residents in all aspects of life, both professionally and personally.  
 
Anyone who has visited us realizes how close our department is and how important we are to each other. This has built the foundation of who we are as people and partners, as a team in the medical community, as doctors to our patients, and as a training program for our future. This foundation runs deeper than any other program in the country and I am proud to be a part of it. Our department’s future is bright and full of opportunities. We truly believe that good people make great doctors. We believe that doing the right thing for each other and those we care for leads to greater outcomes and opportunities going forward. 
 
Please contact us with any questions.   

Eric Thorpe, MD, MBA, FACS 
Chair and Associate Professor

The department’s highly trained physicians direct the use of state-of-the-art technology that enables our staff to handle more than 2.5 million billable inpatient and outpatient procedures annually – including over 35,000 surgical specimens and 22,000 cytology specimens each year. 

Our extensive exposure to all aspects of anatomic and clinical pathology, including some of the most difficult case areas, creates an unparalleled depth of educational experience. All 14 of the department’s clinical laboratories are committed to providing accurate laboratory testing and diagnostic results in a timely manner, mentoring future pathologists and laboratory professionals, and analyzing the causes and treatment of human pathology.

Learn more about our comprehensive educational offerings, including: graduate medical laboratory science, residency, and fellowships, and ongoing research programs.

Eva M. Wojcik, MD, FIAC, Chair 

Helen M. and Raymond M. Galvin Professor of Pathology & Urology

The Department of Pediatrics is dedicated to excellence in the education of medical students, residents, and community partners; evidence-based, family-centered pediatric care, and pediatric research that will fulfill our mission of improving healthcare for all children 

Our department is comprised of approximately 90 full-time faculty devoted to the care of children and adolescents from birth to 21 years of age. Our faculty include pediatric medical and surgical specialists as well as community-based, primary care physicians. 

Members of the faculty provide tertiary and quaternary care at the Ronald McDonald® Children's Hospital, a children's hospital within a hospital, located at the Loyola University Medical Center.  Ronald McDonald® Children’s Hospital consists of 125 pediatric beds, including 36 general pediatric beds, 14 pediatric intensive care beds, 50 neonatal intensive care beds, and 25 newborn bassinets. 

Ambulatory pediatric specialty care is provided at the nearby Loyola Outpatient Center, the Loyola Center for Children's Health (Oakbrook Terrace), the Loyola Center for Health (Burr Ridge) as well as the Loyola Center for Health (Homer Glen). 

Jerold M. Stirling, MD, FAAP, Chair and Professor 
Medical Director, Ronald McDonald® Childrens Hospital at Loyola University Medical Center 

The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at Loyola University Chicago’s Stritch School of Medicine is a collaborative department comprised of physicians, psychologists, nurses, therapists, and social workers, as well as our excellent support staff. We treat a wide range of individuals with a broad array of mental health issues, across all social situations and across the lifespan.  

We have a breadth of opportunities for learners and with our partners Edwards Hines Jr VA Hospital, Madden Mental Health Center, and MacNeal Hospital, there are many opportunities to experience different facets of mental healthcare including inpatient, outpatient, intensive outpatient day programming, and hospital consult/liaison services. We have specialists in areas including child and adolescent psychiatry, trauma, psychosomatics, oncology, and women’s/perinatal mental health.    

This is an incredible time to be in psychiatry; research and technology related to our work is advancing quickly. Neural connectivity research, pharmacogenomics, biomarkers, and advances in imaging, are all coming together to help us provide the most individualized care possible. At Loyola, are proud to be part of that growth, with research in clinical trials, addiction, neuropharmacogenomics, women’s mental health, cultural considerations in behavioral health, medical co-morbidities, and notably of late, neuropsychiatric sequelae of COVID, among others. We offer transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) at our outpatient office, and our partners at the VA offer electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The VA also has a variety of other ongoing research, including in neuromodulation, collaborative care, and therapeutic psychedelics.  

But the best part of psychiatry is the harmony of the art and the science. Not only do we get to work with the emerging advancements in technology, pharmaceuticals, and neurophysiology, but we also know that will never be the whole extent of any patient’s story. We must work to weave those elements into the greater tapestry, along with consideration of early life events, social determinants of health, and consideration of who the patient is and how they interact with the world. Our department strives to take a holistic view of every patient, not only of their biology, genetics, and risk factors, but also of the stressors and stories that make them who they are. Psychiatrists need to have a strong foundation in somatic medicine and we also must learn to balance the more esoteric, as well as the ways that the mind and body interact. Even for those learners who pursue other specialties, we work to impart to them with the knowledge to consider that the body and the mind are always intimately interconnected.  

We look forward to training the next generation of clinicians. 

Katherine Johnson, MD (Stritch alumna), Chair and Associate Professor

Our nationally-recognized faculty specialize in the management and development of cancer therapies within their specific area of expertise, which has helped define them as leaders in research, participants in the latest clinical trials, and invitations to speak at national and international conferences.

Radiation Oncology faculty hold leadership positions in organizations including the American College of Radiology, the American Society of Radiation Oncology, the American Brachytherapy Society, NRG Oncology, and the American Association of Physicists in Medicine. Learn about our faculty.

Our research portfolio includes investigator-initiated studies, cooperative group studies through NRG Oncology, Southwest Oncology Group, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group-American College of Radiology Imaging Network, Alliance and the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project; and participation in multi-center national and international clinical trials. Our studies include determining the value of radiation therapy for different cancers and looking at the value of dose-escalation; newer radiation technologies; concurrent systemic therapies (including immunotherapy), and many other innovative approaches.

Faculty often engage medical student volunteers for research projects.   Students interested in volunteer research opportunities in a specific area of expertise may reach out to faculty members via email, or to our Director of Clinical Research, Dr. Tamer Refaat. Ten-week, full-time Summer Cancer Research Intern opportunities in Radiation Oncology, Imaging and Technology are available for Loyola University Chicago freshman, sophomores, and juniors.  Faculty also frequently mentor students through the Student Training in Approaches to Research (STAR) Program.

We offer an ACGME accredited four-year medical residency program as well as a two-year CAMPEP-accredited program in Radiation Oncology Physics.  

Please contact us with any questions.

William Small, Jr., MD, FACRO, FACR, FASTRO, Professor and Chair, Director, Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center 

The Department of Radiology is a fully-integrated academic and clinical department with a strong tradition of excellence in clinical care, teaching, and research. Its faculty are noted locally, nationally, and internationally for their clinical competence, innovative diagnostic/therapeutic methods, and academic excellence. 

The Department of Radiology has a full complement of diagnostic and therapeutic facilities and equipment located at the hospitals and outpatient centers throughout Loyola University Health System. Loyola's state-of-the-art imaging equipment includes: general diagnostic, ultrasound, nuclear medicine, CT, MRI, interventional radiology, imaging informatics, 3D imaging laboratory, and PET/CT imaging.   

Graduates of Loyola's ACGME-accredited Radiology Residency are leaders in academic and clinical practice throughout the country. 

Jordan Rosenblum, MD, Chair and Professor 

The Department of Surgery is a multi-specialty surgical service comprised of 53 faculty across these 11 divisions: General Surgery, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Colon and Rectal Surgery, Intra-Abdominal Transplantation, GI/Minimally Invasive Surgery, Surgical Oncology, Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy, Trauma, Surgical Critical Care and Burns, Oral Surgery and Dental Medicine, and Surgical Research. We participate in basic science research, translational research, and clinical trials. In collaboration with the Burn Shock Trauma Research Institute and oncology research program, the Department has federally funded research programs in burn, shock and trauma injury, health services research, inflammation, oncology, and vascular biology. The Department hosts eight residency and fellowship programs, as well as a research fellowship training program funded by the National Institutes of Health. 

I am proud that Department faculty and staff are committed to excellence and innovation in clinical care, research, and education that will define the future of surgery. Faculty deliver complex surgical care at several clinical sites including Loyola University Medical Center, Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, MacNeal Hospital, and the Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital. We continue to see steady growth across all of our clinical programs. 

Our mission is to provide the highest level of surgical care, to train the next generation of surgeons and surgeon scientists, and to advance surgical care and knowledge through state-of-the-art research and innovation.  We are devoted to our patients, surgical care, research, and education, and we emphasize quality, safety and the patient experience. 

Our vision: the Department of Surgery will become a team of trusted partners within our community dedicated to improving the health of each life we touch. We will support one another in our professional and personal endeavors, and make our workplace one that is safe, diverse, and welcoming. Our contributions to research, innovation, education, and surgical practice will be recognized nationally and internationally. 

Our commitment to DEI: the Department of Surgery is committed to fostering an environment that embraces the uniqueness of all individuals. We welcome and value individuals of all backgrounds regardless of ethnicity, gender, race, religion or sexual orientation. Through fair and deliberate recruitment, promotion, education and admission for our students, residents and staff, we will provide the highest quality surgical care, education and service for every member of our community.  

I invite you to explore our exceptional programs and offerings and to discover the various clinical, research, and educational programs we offer.   

Vivian Gahtan, MD, Chair 

John P. Igini, MD, Professor Surgery

As department chair, I am extremely proud of our sustained excellence and continued growth. Our department is one of the largest in the nation, in terms of volume and number of surgeons. We have one of the most comprehensive Lung Cancer Programs worldwide, a multidisciplinary mesothelioma team, the Esophageal Cancer Center, a Women’s Lung Cancer Program, an Airway/Tracheal Program, Chest Wall Sarcoma expertise, and Mediastinal Tumor and Carcinoid Tumor care. We also offer treatment programs for noncancerous conditions of the esophagus, namely achalasia, acid reflux/GERD, paraesophageal hernias and benign tumors.

Faculty are engaged in both basic and clinical science research, bringing the latest research.  We provide research and clinical educational experiences for medical students and postgraduate trainees. Our fellowship program in thoracic and cardiovascular surgery is accredited by the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

I am proud to work with the many excellent and dedicated individuals on our team who are devoted to excellence in research, education, and patient care. 

Jeff Schwartz, MD 
Professor and Chair, Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery

As the Urology Department celebrates its 105th year, we continue to provide leading edge urologic care, educational excellence, and innovative research opportunities. 

Dedicated Stritch urology faculty train medical students, residents, and fellows to provide the best possible clinical care as they honor the individuality, privacy, and dignity of each patient. Through rounds, clerkships, and STAR summer scholarships, medical students have the opportunity to learn about and develop research hypotheses from the comprehensive array of general, tertiary, and subspecialty care our physician-faculty provide to adults and children. The subspecialties we offer include urologic oncology, reconstruction, pediatrics, stone disease, male and female incontinence, erectile dysfunction, and male infertility. 

Urology faculty are consistently rated amongst the best educators at Stritch and they are involved in a variety of research endeavors such as studying diagnostic and predictive factors influencing disease as well as developing treatments and introducing surgical techniques to improve patient outcomes. For example, faculty at the Center for Men’s Health have published over 20 peer-reviewed papers and have had several research abstracts accepted, based on the latest minimally invasive surgical treatments (MIST’s) for enlarged prostate or BPH.  Some of this research has led to national health policy changes, allowing Medicare coverage for men who need MIST. Other research has garnered funding from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Medical student involvement has been instrumental in these research projects.

We continue to expand across the region and recently built a strong clinical presence at MacNeal Hospital, where our residents now rotate. We launched a focal prostate cancer treatment program at Gottlieb Hospital, which offers new care opportunities for men with localized disease. At the Hines Veterans Affairs Hospital, the Urology service remains one of the busiest in the four-state, Veterans Integrated Services Network.

Lastly, our faculty continue to lead at the local and national level in organized urology. We are proud of Assistant Professor Denise Asafu-Adjei, MD, MPH, who was selected as the chief diversity officer of the American Urological Association and chair of its Diversity and Inclusion Committee. She succeeds Stritch Professor Larissa Bressler, MD who served in this inaugural role for the organization. I, along with Drs. Bob Flanigan and Kevin McVary, are members of the American Association of Genitourinary Surgeons and the Clinical Society of Genitourinary Surgeons. I am also honored to serve on the American Board of Urology and serve as chair of its Certifying Examination Committee.

Chris Gonzalez, MD, MBA, FACS 
Albert J. Jr. and Claire R. Speh Professor and Chair, Department of Urology