March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

Some Important Facts Your Patients Should Know about Colorectal Cancer!
· Colorectal cancer is the second leading cancer killer in the United States after lung cancer. Colorectal cancer (cancer of the colon or rectum) is second only to lung cancer in causing cancer-related deaths in the U.S. An estimated 146,900 new cases and 56,700 deaths from colorectal cancer are expected in 2004.
· More than one-third of colorectal cancer deaths could be avoided if people over 50 had regular screening tests.
· Most colorectal cancers begin as polyps. (Polyps are growths on the inner wall of the colon or rectum.)
· People who have polyps or colorectal cancer do not always have symptoms, especially at first. Someone could have polyps or colorectal cancer and not know it. Screening tests are so important because they can find colorectal cancer early, when treatment works best. When colorectal cancer is detected in the earliest stage of the disease (Stage 1), the survival rate is greater than 90 percent.
· Colorectal cancer is one of the most preventable cancers. Screening tests can help prevent colorectal cancer by finding pre-cancerous polyps so they can be removed before they turn into cancer.
· Risk increases as we age. The risk of developing colorectal cancer increases with age. In fact, most cases (92%) occur in people 50 and older.
· Both men and women are at risk. Some people think that women are not at risk for colorectal cancer. However, both sexes may develop this cancer.

Source: US Dept. of Health & Human Services
http://www.medicare.gov/health/awareness.asp

RPA Welcomes New Doctor

During their February meeting, the RPA Board of Directors accepted Dr. Dennis Manshio as a contracted provider with RPA.

Dr. Manshio is a primary care physician who operates a family practice office in Lakeview. He presently maintains hospital privileges with both Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center and Lincoln Park Hospital.

RPA is actively recruiting new primary care physicians from all areas of the city. If you know a primary care physician who is board certified and has privileges at any of our contracted hospitals, encourage them to call (773) 868-2008.

The Association welcomes Dr. Manshio and looks to welcome more physician partners!

February is American Heart Month

From the Centers of Disease Control website:

February is American Heart Month. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and a major cause of disability. An estimated 1.2 million persons in the United States had a myocardial infarction (i.e., heart attack) in 2007.

At the individual level, persons can eliminate or control their own risk factors, including high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, tobacco use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, obesity, and diabetes.

Information regarding CDC heart-disease programs is available at http://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp.

Information regarding American Heart Month and heart disease is available from AHA (http://www.americanheart.org) and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov).

RPA Welcomes New Doctors

During their January meeting, the RPA Board of Directors accepted the following physicians as contracted providers with RPA:

John Aquaye-Awah, PCP, Internal Medicine, Lincoln Park Hospital
Jose Castellanos, PCP, Internal Medicine, Weiss Memorial Hospital
Kornelia Krol, OB-Gyn, St. Joseph Hospital
Burcu Onispir-Kafali, OB-Gyn, St. Joseph Hospital
Andra Munteanu, PCP, Internal Medicine, Thorek Memorial Hospital
Jacqueline Olivo, PCP, Family Practice, Lincoln Park Hospital
Anand Patel, Surgery, Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center

Drs. Awah operates his practice on the south side of the city. Dr. Olivo is located in Logan Square. Dr. Munteanu’s office can be found in Chicago’s North Center neighborhood. Dr. Patel works with Dr. Kiran Amin just a block north of Six Corners. Dr. Castellanos will treat patients at Diversey Medical Center in the western end of Edgewater. Drs. Krol and Kafali practice on the northwest side of the city.

RPA is actively recruiting new primary care physicians from all areas of the city. If you know a primary care physician who is board certified and has privileges at our contracted hospitals, encourage them to call (773) 868-2008.

The Association welcomes its new partners and looks to welcome more!

2 Docs Make Chicago’s 2008 List

Chicago Magazine released their Top Docs of 2008 List this January. The survey was conducted by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., a healthcare research organization that assists consumers in locating premier hospitals and physicians in their area. Their list culminates from the responses they received from a large sampling of medical professionals from 56 professional specialties selected at random across the Chicago area.

RPA is pleased to report that two of our shareholders made this list this year. They include Dr. Morteza Dini, Gynecologic Oncology, and Dr. Lawrence Zachary, Plastic Surgery.

Dr. Dini is the Director of Gynecology Oncology at the Creticos Cancer Center located at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center. Dr. Zachary is the Medical Director of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Weiss Memorial Hospital.

A complete list of physicians is available in the January 2008 issue of Chicago Magazine. The list comes out every two years.

RPA congratulates Drs. Dini and Zachary for a job well done in 2007!

Welcome Lincoln Park Hospital!

RPA and Merit Health Systems, LLC are proud to announce an agreement that allows RPA physicians and patients to use Lincoln Park Hospital as an in-network facility.

The hospital has recently undergone an extensive multi-million dollar project that includes a newly renovated birthing center and an updated imaging department with state-of-the-art imaging equipment. The patient rooms and the ER have also been remodeled.

Additionally, the hospital houses an 8-bed ICU and a facility for inpatient hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.

Drs. Luba Babich-Jaksic, Urmila Chaudhry, Zakira Khan, Howard Levy, and Svetislav Paunovic are primary care physicians ready to treat RPA patients if they wish to be treated at Lincoln Park Hospital. RPA also welcome Drs. Niranjana Shah and Ravi Badlani who recently contracted with RPA as PCPs in Internal Medicine.

Physicians who wish to gain hospital privileges at Lincoln Park Hospital may contact Donica Brown-Harris at (773) 883-3790.

RPA Signs with Thorek Memorial

RPA is pleased to begin a new partnership with Thorek Memorial Hospital. The facility, located at the corner of Irving Park Road and Broadway, offers an ideal option for patients in the Uptown and North Lakeview area.

The hospital has provided care for over 90 years. The hospital offers a cancer center, a cardio check prevention center as well as services in sports medicine and diabetes education.

The hospital also operates a wound care clinic and an inpatient detoxification department.

Drs. Zareena Abbas, Nalini Ahluwalia, Hilton Gordon, Dr. Nora Lim, Svetislav Paunovic, and Phuong Tran are primary care physicians ready to treat RPA patients who wish to use Thorek Hospital. Drs. Niranjana Shah and Ravi Badlani recently joined RPA and are contracted with RPA as PCPs in Internal Medicine.

Physicians who wish to gain hospital privileges at Thorek Memorial Hospital may contact Ed Cucci at (773) 975-1208.