OAD HISTORY
OAD Orthopaedics, often affectionately referred to by its patients and staff as "OAD," had its origins in 1981 as a solo practice founded by Douglas B. Mains, M.D. Dr. Mains founded not only the medical practice, but in 1972 he established Mona Kea Medical Park that previously housed OAD's main facility. Dr. Mains was a pioneer in joint replacement surgery and retired from OAD in 1999.
In 1986, Dr. Mains was joined by David K. Chang, M.D., a graduate of the University of Michigan Medical School and the Orthopaedic Residency Program of Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Dr. Chang is an orthopaedic surgeon with particular interest and expertise in arthroscopic surgery of the knee and hip, sports medicine, and total joint replacement for arthritis.
Stephen E. Heim, M.D. joined the practice in 1988 after serving as a U.S. Navy staff physician and as orthopaedic consultant for the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute in Pensacola. Dr. Heim graduated from Northwestern University Medical School and remained at Northwestern for his orthopaedic surgery residency followed by a spine fellowship at the Midwest Regional Spine Trauma Center. Dr. Heim specializes in the conservative medical and surgical management of back and neck disorders.
The threesome became a foursome in January 1990, with the addition of David H. Watt, M.D. Dr. Watt is a graduate of Wheaton College, Northwestern University Medical School, and the University of Illinois Orthopaedic Residency Program. Subsequently, he entered private practice in partnership with Paul Jorden, M.D., where he remained for five years before joining OAD. Dr. Watt is an orthopaedic surgeon with special interest and training in arthroscopic surgery of the knee and shoulder. Other orthopaedic interests include sports medicine, joint replacement and reconstruction.
Nine months later, in September 1990, our second spine surgeon, Jerome L. Kolavo, M.D., became a part of the organization. Dr. Kolavo is a graduate of Purdue University and the University of Illinois College of Medicine. His orthopaedic residency was completed at Northwestern Memorial Hospital followed by a spine fellowship at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center. Dr. Kolavo specializes in spinal surgery, including microsurgery of the lumbar and cervical spine, reconstructive spinal surgery, and spinal deformity surgery.
Lenard W. LaBelle, M.D. became the sixth OAD physician in August 1991, coming to us after a three-year partnership with Dr. Gerald Jabaay in Carol Stream. Dr. LaBelle graduated from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago. He then completed a five-year Grand Rapids Orthopaedic Residency Program in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Dr. LaBelle is an orthopaedic surgeon with special interest in sports medicine, advanced arthroscopy, complex knee and shoulder surgery, and knee replacement. Fall football Saturdays find him covering local high school teams as team physician.
Two years later in September 1993, David M. Mochel, M.D. joined OAD Orthopaedics after graduating from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Rockford. He completed his postgraduate training in the Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Dr. Mochel is an orthopaedic surgeon with expertise in hip and knee joint replacement, reconstruction and revision surgery. He specializes in minimally invasive procedures, computer-assisted surgery, arthroscopy, and fracture care.
In 1994, OAD enhanced its scope of services with the addition of its first physiatrist/physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist, Mary T. Norek, M.D. Dr. Norek is a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, and completed an internship and residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at St. Francis Medical Center in Pittsburgh. Dr. Norek specializes in nonsurgical musculoskeletal care and conservative treatment of the neck and spine. She also conducts EMG and NCV testing and performs trigger point injections.
On September 1, 1996, a merger was consummated between OAD Orthopaedics, Ltd. and Hand Care Associates--the practice of John F. Showalter, M.D. and Richard K. Thomas, M.D.
John F. Showalter, M.D., founder of Hand Care Associates, earned his M.D. at Loyola University’s Stritch School of Medicine, interned at the State University of Iowa Hospitals, and completed a pathology fellowship at the Veterans Administration Hospital of Iowa City. After his orthopaedic surgery residency at the Indiana University Affiliated Hospitals, Dr. Showalter completed a hand and microsurgery fellowship at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Indianapolis. In 1978, he began his specialized practice devoted solely to the unique care of the hand and upper extremity, in addition to performing DuPage County’s first successful microsurgical/hand replantation. After a 30-year orthopaedic career, Dr. Showalter retired on August 31, 2007.
Richard K. Thomas, M.D. joined Dr. Showalter and Hand Care Associates in 1991. He earned his medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, completed a transitional year residency at Memorial Hospital of South Bend. Dr. Thomas then entered a research fellowship in orthopaedic oncology at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, followed by an orthopaedic surgery residency at the University of Missouri, Kansas City and a hand and microsurgery fellowship at the Christine M. Kleinert Institute for Hand and Microsurgery in Louisville, Kentucky. He is a hand and upper extremity surgeon, providing comprehensive care and treatment to patients of all ages for hand, wrist and elbow conditions/injuries.
In February 1997, OAD added its second physiatrist/physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist, Beth B. Froese, M.D. Dr. Froese graduated from the East Carolina University School of Medicine in 1992. She then completed an internship in family practice at the University Medical Center of Eastern Carolina in Greenville and a residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Loyola University Medical Center. Her special interests are in the nonsurgical musculoskeletal care and conservative treatment of the neck and spine. Dr. Froese also conducts EMG and NCV studies, and administers lumbar epidural steroid, facet, sacroiliac and peripheral joint, and trigger point injections.
Drew Engles, M.D., joined Drs. Showalter and Thomas in Hand Care Associates in September 1997. A graduate of the Indiana University School of Medicine, he completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at Akron General Medical Center and the Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron, Ohio. Fellowship-trained in hand and upper extremity surgery from the Indiana Hand Center, Dr. Engles’ special interests include traumatic and reconstructive surgery, arthroscopy, tendon transfers, and peripheral nerve injury of the hand and upper extremity. Family ties drew Dr. Engles back to Ohio in February 2001.
And, on September 1, 1999, OAD welcomed two additional physicians into the practice: Mary Ling, M.D. joined Drs. Showalter, Thomas and Engles as the fourth hand surgeon in the Hand Care Department; Jeffrey Senall, M.D. added his foot, ankle & lower extremity expertise to that of Drs. Chang, Watt, LaBelle and Mochel in the General Orthopaedics Department.
Mary Ling, M.D. graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a Bachelor of Science degree in bioengineering as well as a Master of Science degree in mechanical engineering, and went on to earn her medical degree from Northwestern University Medical School. She completed a five-year residency in orthopaedic surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota in 1998, followed in 1999 by a fellowship in hand and microvascular surgery at the Indiana Hand Center, Indianapolis. Dr. Ling has special interest in traumatic reconstruction of the hand, wrist and elbow, peripheral nerve injury, congenital hand deformities, as well as sports and work-related injuries.
Jeffrey A. Senall, M.D. is an orthopaedic surgeon with special expertise and training in the treatment of foot and ankle disorders and injuries. Other interests include sports medicine, total ankle joint replacement, arthroscopic and minimally invasive treatment of foot and ankle conditions, and arthroscopic surgery of the knee. Dr. Senall did his undergraduate work at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, and received his medical degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Postgraduate training included a five-year residency in orthopaedic surgery at the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, Michigan and a fellowship in foot and ankle surgery at Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona.
Thomas W. Kiesler, M.D. joined OAD in May 2001. He graduated from Purdue University in 1984 with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering, and continued at Purdue University where he achieved his Master of Science degree in physiology in 1988. Dr. Kiesler went on to earn his medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine in 1992, followed by a five-year residency in orthopaedic surgery at the Indiana University Medical Center until 1997. He was a fellow in hand/microvascular and upper extremity surgery at the Indiana Hand Center until August 1998. Prior to joining OAD Orthopaedics, Dr. Kiesler was in private practice as a staff surgeon with the Indiana Hand Center from August 1998 to Spring 2001. His special interests include upper extremity sports-related injuries, trauma reconstruction, arthritic conditions, and peripheral nerve disorders.
Matthew D. Gimre, M.D., a board certified family physician, with a Certificate of Added Qualification in Sports Medicine through the American Board of Family Practice, joined OAD in August 2001. He graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering. Dr. Gimre earned his medical degree from the Ohio State University College of Medicine in 1997, completed a three-year residency in family practice at MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn, IL, followed by a fellowship in sports medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in 2000. A nonsurgical sports and orthopaedic specialist, Dr. Gimre treats athletes at the high school, collegiate and professional levels, and his expertise encompasses a wide range of musculoskeletal and athletic conditions experienced by patients of all ages.
John L. Andreshak, M.D., an orthopaedic surgeon and spine and neck specialist, joined OAD Orthopaedics in 2002. After serving as staff physician in the United States Air Force, Dr. Andreshak served as chief of the orthopaedic spine service and vice chairman of the department of orthopaedic surgery. Dr. Andreshak graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado and earned his medical degree from the Chicago Medical School. Dr. Andreshak completed his internship and orthopaedic residency at Loyola University Medical Center followed by a fellowship in spine surgery at Mayo Clinic combining both orthopaedic and neurosurgical techniques. Dr. Andreshak specializes in the medical and surgical treatment of adult neck and back disorders, including cervical disc replacements, complex cervical spine surgery, and microscopic and reconstructive surgery of the cervical and lumbar spines.
Rachel A. Cisko, D.P.M., OAD's podiatric physician and surgeon, joined OAD in September 2004. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Doctorate of Podiatric Medicine degree from the Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine in Chicago in 2001. Dr. Cisko completed a two-year postgraduate residency specializing in foot surgery from Loretto Hospital in Chicago. She provides complete family-oriented medical and surgical treatment of foot disorders including diabetic foot care, wound care, orthotic therapy, arthritis, fractures, and sprains/strains of the foot and ankle.
In September 2005, hand and upper extremity specialist, Anup A. Bendre, M.D., joined OAD. Dr. Bendre graduated from the University of Illinois with Bachelor of Science degrees in bioengineering and psychology. He earned his medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in 1999 and completed a five-year residency in orthopaedic surgery at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in 2004. Fellowship-trained in hand, upper extremity and microvascular surgery at the Indiana Hand Center in Indianapolis, Dr. Bendre specializes in arthroscopy, reconstruction, replacement surgery of traumatic and arthritic conditions of the hand, wrist and elbow, and upper extremity peripheral nerve and vascular disorders.
OAD welcomed another sports medicine specialist and
surgeon, Aaron A. Bare,
M.D., in February 2006. A graduate of
Northwestern
University
, Dr. Bare also earned his medical degree from
Northwestern
University
Medical School and completed his surgical internship and orthopaedic
residency at Northwestern's
McGaw
Medical
Center.
He completed a sports medicine fellowship at Southern California Orthopaedic Institute in Los Angeles. Dr. Bare specializes in sports medicine, comprehensive shoulder and knee conditions, with expertise in shoulder reconstruction, shoulder and knee replacement, advanced arthroscopy, and hip arthroscopy.
Steven E. Mayer, M.D. joined OAD in July 2006 as the practice's third physiatrist/physical medicine and rehabiltation specialist. Dr. Mayer earned his Bachelor of Science in biology with distinction from Indiana University School of Medicine. After completing a one-year internship at Michigan State University-Kalamazoo Center for Medical Studies in 2003, Dr. Mayer served his three-year residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics. He specializes in the nonsurgical and musculoskeletal care and conservative treatment of the neck and spine, and also conducts EMG and NCV studies. Dr. Mayer performs lumbar epidural steroid, facet, sacroiliac, peripheral joint and trigger point injections.
In August 2006, OAD welcomed its twentieth physician, William
R. Sterba, M.D., a fellowship-trained sports medicine
specialist and surgeon. Dr. Sterba graduated cum
laude from the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor of
Science degree, and in 2000 earned his medical degree from
Tulane University School of Medicine in
New Orleans.
He completed his internship and orthopaedic surgery residency at the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit in 2005, and then entered a sports medicine fellowship at the University of Texas-Houston, serving as Rice University's team physician and assistant M.D. to the Houston Rockets. His areas of specialty include sports medicine, shoulder, knee and hip injuries/conditions, with expertise in arthroscopy/advanced arthroscopic procedures; total joint replacement and reconstruction of the shoulder, hip, and knee; and fracture management.
Joining OAD in March 2008, hand and upper extremity specialist, Richard L. Makowiec, M.D., has a Bachelor of Science degree in microbiology from the University of Michigan. In 1994, he earned his medical degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine and completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in 1999. Fellowship-trained in hand and microvascular surgery at the Indiana Hand Center in Indianapolis, Dr. Makowiec specializes in arthroscopy, microsurgery, fracture care, peripheral nerve and sports injuries and reconstructive surgery for upper extremity traumatic and arthritic conditions. He has served as an orthopaedic hand surgeon in the United States Navy and Clinical Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.
In July 2008, Vinita Mathew, M.D., physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist/ physiatrist, joined OAD. Dr. Mathew received her medical degree from the University of Otago in New Zealand and completed a one-year internship in Internal Medicine at St. Mary’s Health Center in St. Louis. Following her internship, Dr. Mathew began a three-year residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. She specializes in the nonsurgical musculoskeletal care and conservative treatment of the neck and spine, and conducts EMG and NCV studies. She has particular interest in treating hip dysfunction in young adults, performs lumbar epidural steroid, facet, sacroiliac, peripheral joint and trigger point injections.
Gregory P. Witkowski, M.D., joined OAD in September 2009 as its second fellowship-trained foot and ankle specialist. Graduating magna cum laude from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and a medical degree with high honors from Wayne State University in Detroit, Dr. Witkowski completed a five-year orthopaedic surgery internship and residency at Wayne State University and William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Michigan. With an advanced fellowship in foot and ankle/lower extremity trauma and reconstructive surgery at the Florida Orthopaedic Institute in Tampa, Dr. Witkowski has particular interest in fracture care, foot and ankle arthritis, deformity correction, arthroscopy, trauma and post-traumatic reconstruction.
After completing an orthopaedic spine surgery fellowship at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Mir Haroon Ali, M.D., Ph.D., joins OAD in August 2010. Earning a Bachelor of Arts in Biological Sciences with Honors from The University of Chicago, Dr. Ali remained at The University of Chicago to earn his Ph.D. in cellular biology and pathology in 2002. In 2004, he attained his medical degree from The University of Chicago-Pritzker School of Medicine. Dr. Ali completed his surgical internship and orthopaedic surgery residency training at the prestigious Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota in 2009. Dr. Ali specializes in the medical and surgical treatment of neck and back disorders, including microscopic surgery and reconstructive surgery of the cervical and lumbar spine.
TOP OF PAGE
