Northwestern Medicine opens new cancer center in Orland Park
Northwestern Medicine is expanding oncology services in the south suburbs to bring world-class cancer care closer to where people live and work. The new Northwestern Medicine Cancer Center Orland Park opened August 9, 2022, in Suite 108 of the south campus located at 15300 West Avenue, Orland Park.
The new cancer center offers hematology and medical oncology care, laboratory services, nutritional counseling and social work. A full-service infusion suite and specialty pharmacy provide onsite chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy and supportive care. In the future, the center will also offer surgical oncology, gynecologic oncology, genetic counselors and other subspecialties. Plans are also in place to bring new cancer therapies to the south suburbs through clinical trials before these treatments become more widely available.
The Orland Park site is staffed by members and affiliates of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, ranked No. 9 in the country for Cancer by U.S. News & World Report in its 2022-2023 “America’s Best Hospitals” rankings. Virtual and in-person tumor boards give Northwestern Medicine Palos physicians access to the clinical expertise of the entire Northwestern system to collaborate on complex cases and determine the best-possible treatment plan.
“We are creating a center of excellence where patients receive comprehensive cancer care in one facility to improve patient experience, care coordination and quality,” said Christopher George, MD, medical director of Northwestern Medicine’s oncology program in the south and west suburbs. “Our vision is to bring innovative, leading-edge, novel therapies from the Lurie Cancer Center to patients in the southern suburbs.”
The clinic features eight exam rooms, 13 infusion bays, a flex room, a pharmacy for compounding drugs and a laboratory for onsite diagnostic services. The physical space is easy to navigate and designed with pleasing colors and textures to provide a comfortable, calming environment.
Northwestern Medicine Cancer Center Orland Park will feature three medical oncologists. Sudhir Sekhon, MD, is joining Northwestern Medicine from Advocate Health Care in Aurora, bringing more than 15 years of experience in hematology and medical oncology to his new role. Dr. Sekhon trained at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. Yaseen Alkaddoumi, MD, has practiced in the Chicago region for five years, and completed residencies at Loyola University Medical Center and the University of Illinois at Chicago Hospital. Yazan Numan, MD, assistant professor of Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, completed his fellowship in hematology and oncology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
These oncologists will partner with other physicians who are making an impact on cancer care in the south suburbs, such as Imad Qayyum, MD, colorectal surgery; Samer R. Rajjoub, MD, an endocrine surgeon who focuses on thyroid cancer; and breast surgical oncologist Miraj G. Shah-Khan, MD, medical director of the Breast Cancer and Breast Health Program at Palos Hospital.
Dr. Shah-Khan completed her fellowship in breast surgical oncology at the Mayo Clinic and joined Northwestern Medicine through the 2021 Palos Health integration. She brings over 10 years of experience in academic medicine to Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital. Dr. Shah-Khan is the chairperson of the Northwestern Medicine Palos Multidisciplinary Breast conference and the Breast Cancer Leadership committee and has taken on leadership of Northwestern Medicine Breast Cancer Collaborative, a system wide effort to improve quality and outcomes in breast cancer care across the Northwestern Medicine network. She sees patients at the Women’s Center at Northwestern Medicine Orland Park and has been leading efforts to develop a robust multidisciplinary, accredited breast program for the Orland Park community.
“It’s exciting that it is a system priority to build this space into a destination cancer center equipped with the latest diagnostic and treatment modalities, access to specialty care and clinical trials. This infrastructure, along with the expertise provided by specialists, offers everything a patient would need during their treatment,” said Dr. Shah-Khan.
Dr. Rajjoub is chairperson of the Cancer Committee at Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital, vice chairperson of the Tumor Board and the Cancer Liaison Physician.
“The opening of the Northwestern Medicine Cancer Center in Orland Park is a dream come true for the south suburbs,” said Dr. Rajjoub. “Patients in our community stand to benefit tremendously from direct access to the breadth of Northwestern Medicine’s resources, including advanced diagnostic testing, the latest treatment strategies, and new cancer therapies while remaining close to home.”
Radiation oncology services will remain at the Tinley Park location. Medical Director Haider Ali Shirazi, MD, is a radiation oncologist, chairperson of the Palos Cancer Program Tumor Board and vice chair of the Cancer Committee at Palos Hospital. Having trained at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Dr. Shirazi is excited to have rejoined an integrated academic health system in fall 2021.
“With access to Northwestern Medicine’s depth of resources, treatments, clinical trials and Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, we can better collaborate to bring world-class care to the southwest suburbs,” said Dr. Shirazi. “Many oncology subspecialties that we haven’t seen previously in our community will now be represented.”
