Welcome Letter

Dear colleagues,

At the AMITA Health Cancer Institute, patients receive comprehensive, state-of-the-art cancer care in a community setting, close to home. With easy access to a network of cancer experts that spans the northwest and southwest suburbs of Chicago, patients no longer need to travel long distances to find high quality, technologically advanced care. We make the patient our priority, with expedited appointment scheduling that reduces the time from diagnosis to treatment and helps minimize the stress and anxiety that accompanies a cancer diagnosis.

I invite you to work with our oncologic experts to provide your patients leading-edge, compassionate and convenient cancer care.

– Stuart Marcus, MD, Chief Clinical Officer

The AMITA Health Cancer Institute has broad expertise in cancer risk assessment, diagnosis and treatment across all cancer types, with established and nationally recognized programs in breast, prostate, colorectal, lung and surgical neuro-oncology. The AMITA Health Cancer Institute is certified by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer and nationally accredited as an Integrated Network Cancer Program.

What makes the AMITA Health Cancer Institute different? We combine compassion with technical expertise to provide person-centered care. We treat the whole patient — and their family — across the continuum of life, with a holistic approach to meet the needs of the body, mind and spirit. We provide a healing environment where nurse navigators guide patients and their families every step of the way, and all care team members take time to understand each patient’s specific needs and treatment goals. The lines of communication are always open to referring providers, as valued members of the patient’s care team.

You can contact the AMITA Health Cancer Institute any time by calling 844.952.HOPE (844.952.4673) for northwest suburb locations, or 630.286.5500 for western suburb locations.

Twenty-two of our physicians were named among Chicago Magazine’s Top Doctors in Oncology in 2017.¹ AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center Hinsdale was named as one of the top 100 hospitals in the nation in 2017,² and AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center La Grange recently received a five-star rating from Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS),³ putting it in the top two percent of hospitals in the country. In 2016, AMITA Health St. Alexius Medical Center Hoffman Estates received The Leapfrog Group’s Top Hospital safety award.⁴

In this issue of AMITA Health Vital Signs, you’ll find information on the AMITA Health Cancer Institute’s Oncology Research program and learn about our nationally accredited Breast Care and Thoracic Cancer programs. You’ll also be introduced to the essential work of our Integrative Oncology program in supporting patients and their family members.

We look forward to working with you.

Stuart Marcus, MD
Chief Clinical Officer

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Stuart Marcus, MD, FACS, was named Chief Clinical Officer of AMITA Health in 2016. Dr. Marcus previously served as president and CEO of St. Vincent’s Health Services in Bridgeport, Conn. He has also served as CMO and chairman of the oncology department at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport. He also served as professor of surgery for the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University. He was instrumental in establishing St. Vincent’s as the principal clinical partner for the school. A specialist in gastrointestinal cancer surgery, Dr. Marcus led the development of the Elizabeth M. Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care at St. Vincent’s.

He received his medical degree from Duke University School of Medicine, was trained in general surgery at NYU/Bellevue and completed a fellowship in surgical oncology at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland. He earned a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Massachusetts. A Diplomat of the American Board of Surgery, Dr. Marcus holds many professional memberships including the American College of Surgeons, American College of Healthcare Executives and American Association for Physician Leadership where he serves as a member of the faculty. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed medical journals and has spoken at conferences across the country on clinical as well as health care policy topics.