Features

Healthcare, as well as IT, has been in an always-changing state for a long time – making my life (as the head of IT in a health system) always interesting and never settled.  I would argue that these days the world is changing rapidly, not...

Originally from Steger, Ill., but now a resident of Dyer, Ind., Carrie Gallegos’ life took a complete turn back in 2009 that sparked what has now been her craziest but most beautiful life journey. At the age of 24, Gallegos found herself driving...

I had this guy I used to work with probably a decade or so ago who used to say “make it a great day” all the time. It was even in the closing of his emails; it was something he did with great intention. I was curious about it, so I made...

When Don Kirschner was serving in the Vietnam War with the United States Air Force, he caught hepatitis C. It wasn’t discovered in his body until the ‘90s, and hepatitis C can turn into cancer when left untreated. His...

In November of 2015, Ekaterina Hatzikostantis and her family faced something that no family expects, but everyone dreads all the same. “I kept throwing up at the same time every day. The doctor said, ‘it’s just stress,’” said...

Marsha Henson documents important dates, notes from doctor’s visits, and notes from her cancer treatments in various notebooks and calendars she has kept since her diagnosis in 2017. She recently flipped through them for the first time in a couple...

Craig Buzea did not know what he was feeling one day following a playoff football game he coached at Homewood-Flossmoor High School in 2019. While he was unsure of what was going on, he knew it was serious and had been going on for a couple of weeks....

I was in my early-to-mid 30’s when I was trusted with the top spot for IT in my former employer, a healthcare system, and I was 38 when I was named vice president for my current health system.  I worked hard...

While the natural response to a cancer diagnosis usually consists of shock or panic, Jodi Dawson was not surprised. When Dawson found a lump on the side of her throat, she knew something was wrong. She said she had a few weeks to come to terms with...

Poor communication is a killer no matter what the situation is. My in-laws are from South Africa. In South Africa, they have many different native languages, one of which is Afrikaans. On my first visit, I saw my mother-in-law address her children...