Vista Opens Lindenhurst Cancer Center
Vista Health System officially opened the Vista Cancer Center on its campus in Lindenhurst with a ribbon cutting event held Tuesday evening, Nov. 19. A crowd of approximately 100 local officials, business leaders, physicians, patients and Vista staff celebrated the grand opening.
The new cancer center includes 10 private infusion rooms, patient exam rooms, on-site lab services and an appearance center for cancer patients. It is located on the first floor of the new Vista Medical Office Building at 1025 Red Oak Lane, part of the Vista Lindenhurst campus that includes the Vista Ambulatory Care Center, Vista Freestanding Emergency Center, and the Vista Surgery Center, LLC.
“I’d like to welcome you to our brand new, state-of-the-art cancer center,” said Barbara Martin, Vista’s President and CEO, in addressing the audience. “As you tour our facility, you can see that we’ve designed it to make our patients feel as comfortable as possible.”
The grand opening followed the recent acquisition of Oncology/Hematology Associates of Northern Illinois (OHANI), one of Lake County’s largest oncology practices. OHANI was founded in 1982 and includes three oncologists: Naren Kapadia, M.D., Nilesh Mehta, M.D., and Anshul Bamrolia, M.D. All are certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in Medical Oncology, and together they bring more than 55 years of oncology experience in treating cancer patients.
“These three doctors have built one of the leading oncology practices in Lake County,” Martin said. “I couldn’t be more delighted that these three great doctors and their staffs are now members of Vista Health System. Now that we have them in place, we can open this beautiful cancer center.”
Dr. Kapadia and Dr. Mehta each addressed the crowd to express their excitement about the opening of the new center. A surprise guest at the event was Janice Hassett, of Antioch, who had been Dr. Mehta’s first patient when he joined the practice in 1992. She had stage 4 lymphoma at the time, but has been cancer-free ever since and had not seen Dr. Mehta in a number of years. The two shared a joyful reunion when they met, and then he told the crowd of her courage and determination.
“Seeing Janice Hassett here tonight is one of the best surprises I’ve had in a long time,” he said. “We went through a lot together, and knowing that she’s healthy is the kind of inspiration that helps us do our jobs every day,” he said.
The next speaker was Kathy Schick of Silver Lake, Wis., a recent breast cancer patient who gave a heartfelt testimonial about the quality of care she’s received by the OHANI physicians. Lake Villa Mayor Frank Loffredo wrapped up the presentation with additional supportive remarks.
OHANI will continue to operate its established practice at 202 S. Greenleaf, Suite E, Gurnee. The new location in Lindenhurst offers added convenience for patients in western Lake County, plus it is adjacent to the Advanced Radiation Oncology Center, an independent practice that provides radiation treatment for cancer patients.
“Our new center is perfectly complemented by radiation oncology services available next door,” Martin said. “And if you go upstairs, you’ll see our large office for our own Vista Physician Group of family practitioners and specialists. So now we can offer all of these patient services together in one place, under one roof.”
For more information about Drs. Kapadia, Mehta or Bamrolia, visit VistaHealth.com.