To learn more about our personalized approach to chemotherapy or our specialized clinics, fill out the form below.
Oncology Specialists, S.C.
Lutheran General Advanced Care Center
1700 Luther Ln
Park Ridge, Illinois 60068
866-611-1991
Map and Directions
Oncology Specialists, S.C.
Oak Mill Center
7900 Milwaukee Ave Ste 16
Niles, Illinois 60714
866-611-1991
Map and Directions
Main & after hours phone numbers
for all locations:
P: 866-611-1991
F: 847-318-2905
Our Specialty Practices
Our physicians provide excellent care to patients with cancer. In addition, we have a number of specialty programs that are dedicated to specific conditions.
Biologics
Bladder Cancer
Breast Cancer
Blood Disorders (Hematology)
Bone Marrow Transplant
Brain Tumors
Cancer Vaccines
Carcinoid Tumors
Cervical Cancer
Colorectal Cancer
- Daniel T. Milton, M.D.
- Sigrun Hallmeyer, M.D.
- Pamela E. Kaiser, M.D.
- Timothy M. Lestingi, M.D.
- Chadi Nabhan, M.D.
Esophageal Cancer
Gastrointestinal Malignancies
Head And Neck Cancer
Hematology (non-malignant)
Hemorrhagic Disorders
Hodgkin's Disease
Hematological Malignancies
Kidney Cancer
Leukemia
Liver Cancer
Lung Cancer
Lymphoma
Melanoma
Myeloma
Myeloproliferative Disorders
Ovarian Cancer
Peripheral Stem Cell Transplant
Prostate Cancer
Sarcoma
Testicular Cancer
Thrombotic Disorders
A Different Kind of Medical Group
Oncology Specialists, S.C., is a group practice. Each of the experienced physicians at our Chicago-area cancer treatment center specializes in oncology and hematology, the treatment of cancer and diseases of the blood. All of our physicians are board certified and fellowship trained. You can find their resumes on this site.
What Do We Mean by Group Practice?
Our physicians and nurses are colleagues who share the same values, the same approaches to treating patients, the same care and consideration for families and loved ones. Our physicians, nurses, and other clinical personnel work together to devise optimal treatment protocols and to share information on new developments.
Nursing Care: A Unique Approach
The physician is the primary figure in assessing treatment options, monitoring the patient’s progress, and providing for the appropriate medical intervention at our Chicago-area facilities. Chemotherapy is administered by nurses certified in chemotherapy administration who specialize in this treatment, its side effects, and the unique needs of patients who are undergoing this therapy.
We use a primary nurse model for nursing care. Under this model, each patient at our Chicago-area cancer treatment centers has one assigned chemotherapy nurse who is responsible for all their chemotherapy treatment. This gives the patient a more personalized level of care and attention which results in better medical care. Your nurse will provide professional monitoring and rapid, accurate responses to your changing health needs.
Research and Teaching
Oncology Specialists is a group of academically oriented physicians working in a community cancer care setting. Our physicians come from some of the most prominent academic medical centers in the United States. We are dedicated to clinical research. Virtually all of the advances in cancer care in the last fifty years were the result of clinical research, and we support research as the best way to improve the clinical care of cancer patients. We also believe that the best treatments can often be found as part of research studies.
We spend a significant amount of time in teaching activities for medical students, residents, and fellows. We also, through lectures by physicians, oncology-certified nurses, and advanced practice nurses, help to educate physicians and nurses in other local hospitals and outpatient programs. Many of our physicians and nurses at our Chicago-area cancer treatment centers participate in community-based educational programs as well.
Our Philosophy of Care
Our mission statement reflects our values and our priorities. We think it describes us and states the ideal of patient care to which we aspire:
Oncology Specialists, S.C. provides responsive service to cancer patients, their families, and their physicians. We are professionals who understand not just the medical needs of our patients, but also their right to clarity, honesty, and dignity. We meet these needs by providing patient-centered service, by involving families and other care-givers appropriately, and by interacting with physicians in other specialties.
As part of our commitment to quality service, Oncology Specialists conducts clinical research, provides patient and physician education, and reaches out to the communities it serves. Oncology Specialists strives to be a leader in the disciplines of oncology and hematology through the development and application of new knowledge and insights in the prevention and treatment of cancer and related conditions. Our people are dedicated to serving with respect and compassion all those who come to us.
Our Role in Oncology Education
Our physicians speak regularly to patient support groups sponsored by such organizations as the American Cancer Society, Y-Me, and Us, Too! We train medical students and residents in our Chicago-area oncology outpatient clinics so that the next generation of doctors will have the opportunity to see real patients in real situations.
The physicians of Oncology Specialists have developed a new program for Lutheran General Hospital in which young physicians who have completed their internship and residency work can become medical oncologists. This three-year fellowship program is the highest level of medical education available in a clinical setting, and we are proud to have developed the first non-university-based oncology fellowship program in the Chicago area.
Of course, some of the most important education we provide is to each other, to our patients, and to other physicians. We do this every day when our physicians and nurses counsel patients about their conditions, when we review the latest science and discuss it in our clinical conferences, and when we share what we have learned with the primary care physicians whose patients we are treating.
Our Approach to Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy can be frightening. Receiving this treatment seems like unavoidable confirmation that you’re sick – really sick. And the treatment itself, you’ve heard, may be as bad as the disease. Although great strides have been made in reducing the complications of chemotherapy, we understand that these impressions are strong in the minds of patients and their loved ones.
Patients receiving chemotherapy may experience side effects from the drugs that are administered. Anticipating these side effects and other physiological and psychological changes resulting from cancer treatment is an important part of our clinical care. Most of these side effects can be controlled and managed, but only by vigilance, frequent testing, and careful education of the patient. That’s one reason we’ve developed what we call our primary nurse model for chemotherapy.
Every chemotherapy patient at our Lutheran General Hospital treatment center has his or her own nurse, just as he has his own doctor. Your nurse is your advocate, and the entire course of treatment is, normally, provided by that same nurse in consultation with your physician. This helps to ensure that a strong relationship is built between nurse and patient so the patient can be assured of personal attention and a depth of care that comes with the bond which results. In many cases, the nurse/patient bond becomes a lasting one.
But it’s not just about TLC. We believe that a single nurse who is responsible for his or her own group of patients will come to know their medical needs better and will be more sensitive to gradual changes in their conditions. By working as a team, the physician and the nurse support one another in monitoring each patient’s progress.
In other words, we think primary nursing isn’t just more personal care – we think it’s better care.
All the chemotherapy nurses at our Lutheran General Hospital center are required to hold the degree of B.S. in nursing (or equivalent) or the certificate of oncology. They are active in the Oncology Nursing Society and provide leadership in the nursing profession.
Multi-Disciplinary Clinics
The best treatment for your disease depends on many variables; it may not be the same as would be recommended to another patient with the same diagnosis. A variety of medical specialties are involved in the treatment of cancer, including surgery and radiation therapy.
For this reason, we have established a number of multi-disciplinary clinics at which our physicians work specialists from other branches of medicine to evaluate a patient’s case.
In these clinics, the patient may be examined by two or three specialists, who then confer with one another. Based on the laboratory tests, imaging studies, results of biopsies, and their examination of the patient, the physicians join in recommending a single course of treatment.
Sometimes, the treatment that is presented to the patient as the consensus recommendation will involve a series of interventions: perhaps surgery followed by chemotherapy and then radiation. In other cases, only one alternative will be deemed advisable. The patient, of course, has the final decision, but we hope that this choice will be less stressful because of the agreement of a variety of specialists.
Currently, Oncology Specialists participates in the following multi-disciplinary clinics. Click on the underlined words for more information. Call our main number, 866-611-1991, for an appointment.
- Gynecologic Oncology Clinic
- Head/Neck Clinic
- Pigmented Lesion ( Melanoma) Clinic
- Prostate Clinic
- Anti-Coagulation/Thrombosis Monitoring Clinic
Gynecologic Oncology Clinic
Dr. Timothy Lestingi pairs with Dr. James Dolan of Advocate Medical Group for this weekly clinic on Wednesday mornings at the Park Ridge location.
Head/Neck Clinic
On Thursday mornings, Dr. Arthur Hooberman, working with physicians from Radiation Oncology Consultants, Ltd., and the Ear, Nose and Throat Center, holds this clinic in our Park Ridge office.
Pigmented Lesion ( Melanoma) Clinic
Dr. Jon Richards, nationally recognized for his work in melanoma, holds this clinic along with Dr. Sigrun Hallmeyer each Monday afternoon at our Park Ridge Office and again on Fridays at our Niles office.
Prostate Clinic
Dr. Chadi Nabhan directs the Prostate Clinic at our Niles office on Monday afternoons. He is joined in this clinic by physicians from Radiation Oncology Consultants, Ltd., Northwest Metropolitan Urology Associates, S.C., and Northwest Suburban Urologists, Ltd.
Anti-Coagulation/Thrombosis Monitoring Clinic
Dr. Angel G. Gálvez has established our Anti-Coagulation and Thrombosis Clinic to serve patients who experience blood clotting problems. Coumadin monitoring is provided in this clinic.