Message from the Chairman

I’d like to introduce you to the department that I have been a part of for over twenty years. Our residency program in Obstetrics and Gynecology has a wonderfully unique personality, blending the spirit of a community hospital with the academic environment of a prominent tertiary center in Chicago. I have always believed our department is a reflection of the community we reside in. The Lincoln Park setting is a beautiful area with the immediately adjacent lake and eclectic Chicago trappings of sports, entertainment and food. More importantly, it is the people that surround the Medical center that create the culture that defines our department. Our family of faculty, residents and staff are fortunate to serve the patients that make up our diverse community.

We are very proud of our clinical programs dedicated to women’s health. There are three elements that I would like to highlight. First is our passion for clinical excellence. Outstanding patient care as a primary mission serves as the anchoring point around all of our activities, including education, patient safety and outreach. Our clinical activities reflect our enthusiasm for our specialty and reflect the reason we chose Obstetrics & Gynecology as a career.

The second element is our faculty. We have a very large faculty team with a wealth of talent, each one of us drawn to Illinois Masonic by the rich environment of the residency and department. In addition to an extensive general OB/Gyn dedicated faculty, we possess a strong compliment of all the major subspecialties, each guided by a subspecialty director. Together, the faculty physicians serve as the perfect core for both patient care and residency education.

The third highlight of our program is our residents. The Obstetrical and Gynecologic residency is built on the foundation of the traditional pillars of an academic department: patient care, research and teaching. We not only provide a broad-based education in the health care for women, but encourage clinical research and intellectual development, thus preparing those individuals who would seek further sub-specialization in the field of obstetrics and gynecology. Finally, teaching serves as a core element of our program. We have developed generations of wonderful physician teachers, both through our mentoring as well as our structured didactic environment.

As the largest non-university graduate teaching hospital in the state, Illinois Masonic has the experience, resources and dedication to create the proper environment for physician development. Coupled with this is one of our most important programs, the undergraduate educational program. Illinois Masonic consistently ranks as one of the top sites for medical student OB/Gyn clinical core rotations in the Chicago area.

We are proud of our resident physicians and the excellent women’s health care that our team delivers at Illinois Masonic. I invite you to become a part of the enthusiasm and dedication that goes with that pride.

Stephen Locher, M.D.
Chairman