Joseph Kowalczyk, MD
Chairman, Department of Medicine

​Dr. Joseph Kowalczyk is the Chairman of the Department of Medicine at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Illinois. He completed his medical education at Rush Medical College and completed his internal medicine residency at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center. He has been a beacon of excellence in his service to the community as a primary care physician, his progressive leadership for the institution, and his passion for improving education for the internal medicine residency. ​

​Melanie Gordon, MD, FACP
Program Director, Internal Medicine

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Dr. Gordon serves as the Program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency Program and Clinical Associate Professor at University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine. She served as Chair of the Clinical Competency Committee and co-developed the diversity, equity, and inclusion curriculum for the residency program. She sits on the Annual South Region Primary Care Symposium Committee, and spearheads community engagement activities with the Advocate Christ Hospital Medical Staff DEI committee and serves on the Advocate Health Midwest Medical Group Inclusion Council.  As Population Health Medical Director of Health Equity, Dr. Gordon works closely with Graduate Medical Education (GME) leadership, APP, and system DE&I to implement health equity initiatives across our healthcare system. Previously, Dr. Gordon served as Associate Section Chief of Medical Education for the General Internal Medicine Division and Director of Medical Student Programs at Stroger Hospital of Cook County.  She received accolades for her role in medical education and patient care including the ACP Quality Improvement team award, Teacher of the Year Award, and Humanism in Medicine Award.   ​