AMITA ADVENTIST LA GRANGE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL: AMITA Health St. Mary’s Hospital Kankakee Names 2020 Physicians of the Year

By Press release submission

Feb 7, 2021

AMITA Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital issued the following announcement on Feb. 5.

Recognizing 2020 was a year unlike any other, the administration of AMITA Health St. Mary’s Hospital Kankakee has taken a similarly unique approach in naming the hospital’s annual Physician of the Year.

Typically, one physician is celebrated as the Physician of the Year. However, for 2020, every hospital physician leader is being honored, including hospital department chairs, committee chairs and the Medical Executive Committee team—29 physicians in all.

“What’s been apparent this year is the level of commitment demonstrated throughout this pandemic by our entire medical staff,” said Chris Shride, AMITA Health St. Mary’s Hospital president and CEO. “This commitment shone through not just to our hospital, but to our patients, our community, staff and certainly to one another.”

Over the past year, AMITA Health St. Mary’s treated nearly 400 COVID-19 positive inpatients and performed more than 25,000 COVID-19 tests for the community.

In acknowledging the award, Shride said these physician leaders partnered with the hospital administration to best serve their patients.

“Through their commitment, their diligence and their patience, they’ve allowed us not only to get through 2020, but they allowed us to do it stronger than what we entered,” he said. “Their impact will forever be remembered and forever be appreciated.”

The 2020 Physicians of the Year are:

Dr. Raju Abraham, medical director, Critical Care Services, and chair, Sepsis Committee
Shawn Bala, medical director, Emergency Medical Services
Thomas Brezinski, chair, Dental Department
Dr. Suresh Didwania, chair, Internal Medicine Department
Dr. Anuli Ezimako, chair, Family Medicine Department
Dr. Timothy Friedrich, chair, Podiatry Department
Dr. Kent Frye, president, medical staff, and chair, Surgery Department
Dr. Kalisha Hill, chief medical officer; chair, Pathology Department; and chair, Quality & Safety Committee
Dr. Gaurav Kapoor, medical director, Cardiology Services Department, and member-at-large, Medical Executive Council
Dr. Ilona Kichko, medical director, Trauma Services; chair, Trauma Committee; and chair, National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers
Dr. Woo Kim, chair, Department of Anesthesia, and president-elect, medical staff
Dr. Francis Hobson, chair, Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department
Dr. David Lang, medical director, Vascular Surgery
Dr. Mario Massullo, chair, Cardiology Committee, and immediate past president, medical staff
Dr. Patrick McGinnis, chair, Cancer Committee
Dr. Venkata Moparthi, chair, Pharmacy Committee
Dr. Thomas O'Connor, member-at-large, Medical Executive Committee
Dr. Myint Oo, Chair, Pediatrics Department
Dr. Martin Phillips, medical director, Infectious Diseases, and chair, Infectious Diseases Committee
Dr. Karen Sanders, chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Dr. Farid Shafaie, chair and medical director, Department of Radiology
Dr. Roger Taylor, chair, Medical Staff Quality Committee
Dr. Abraham Thomas, chair, Medical Staff Credentialing Committee
Dr. Suresh Wadhwani, medical directory, Cardiology Services
Dr. Amy Wiesch, member-at-large, Medical Executive Committee
Dr. Steve Williams, chair, Operating Room Committee
Dr. Robert Woodburn, medical directory, Radiation Oncology Services
Dr. Ming Xu, chair, Department of Psychiatry
Dr. Michael Yokell, chair, Department of Emergency Medicine, and medical director, Emergency Department