Mercyhealth’s GI Fellowship Program is a new program that will begin July 2023. The aim of the program is to graduate the next generation of gastroenterologists who provide the highest quality of evidence-based medical care to the communities they serve. Graduates are expected to enter unsupervised practice of evidence-based gastroenterology with a goal of life-long learning and professional growth.
The GI Fellowship Program will:
- Educate fellows to improve overall patient care in the subspecialty of gastroenterology in a community environment
- Provide a series of faculty-supervised activities throughout the three years of training, with the goal of providing a comprehensive clinical experience for our fellows
- Create an environment of learning and scholarship in a diverse setting
- Graduate proficient gastroenterologists in all cognitive and endoscopic procedural aspects that are patient-centric with a focus on quality and safety
Didactics will include traditional lectures, Morbidity and Mortality (M&M), pathology, research and endoscopy conferences. All fellows will participate in quality improvement projects.
A Monthly Journal Club will be held for continued life-long learning and development of critical literature appraisal skills.
Salary and benefits
Resident salaries are competitive and based on their current program year. Salary and compensation for residents are commensurate to post-graduate education level.
Postgraduate year (PGY)-4 $63,000 and laptop computer
PGY-5 $64,000
PGY-6 $65,000
Residents receive access to a variety of benefits, including the following:
- Employee Assistance Program
- Health insurance
- Dental insurance
- Vision insurance
- Life insurance
- Long-term disability insurance
- Malpractice insurance
- Flexible benefits plan
- Paid vacation
- Free parking
- Computer/tablet
- Physician coats
- Meals on call
- Membership fees
- Relocation assistance
Program leadership
Chief Medical Officer, Vice President of Physician Services and DIO
John Dorsey, MD, is the Chief Medical Officer, Vice President of Physician Services and DIO of Mercyhealth GME Consortium. He is a graduate of The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences and is board certified in internal medicine.
Dr. Dorsey completed his residency in internal medicine at Hershey Medical Center at Penn State University and a fellowship in geriatrics at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
Maryanne Miller, MD, is the Assistant CMO and Director of the Hospital Medicine Program. She approaches patient care from a patient-centered approach, always focusing on what is the best care for the patient. Her patient care philosophy can be summed up in the following question: “What would I want for my family member?”
Dr. Miller has been involved in multiple medical leadership positions at Mercyhealth. This includes the progressive pathway from 2nd Vice President to President of Medical Staff, as well as system Chair of Pharmacy & Therapeutics and Vice Chairman of the Department of Medicine. She strongly supports a mentorship approach to physician leadership development.
Dr. Miller has been actively involved in medical education, previously as clinical Instructor at the University of Arizona, and currently as Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford.
She earned her medical degree at the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis and completed additional intern and residency training at Case Western University/University Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio. She is board certified in both internal medicine and the focused practice of hospital medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine. She is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and Senior Fellow of the Society for Hospital Medicine.
GI Fellowship Program Director
Dr. Baseer M. Qazi is the Program Director for the Gastroenterology Fellowship with the philosophy of “education over service.” “Our goal is to create an enriching, scholarly, and clinically sound environment to train tomorrow’s gastroenterologists,” said Dr. Qazi.
Dr. Qazi has been involved with medical education throughout his career and also serves as an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Rosalind Franklin University and is a member of the American College of Gastroenterology.
He earned his medical degree at Deccan College of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad, India. He was chief resident and completed a fellowship in gastroenterology at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, Park Ridge, IL. He is board certified in gastroenterology by the American Board of Internal Medicine.
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine and Associate Program Director, Gastroenterology Fellowship
Dr. Altaf Dawood’s clinical interests include disorders of the bile duct and pancreas, gastrointestinal cancers, esophageal disorders, stomach disorders and colon polyps. He believes care should be customized to each patient. He takes time to develop relationships with his patients and choose treatment options based on what is in their best interest. He works to improve their quality of life. As a physician, he believes in educating his patients so they are empowered to make the most educated decisions possible.
Dr. Dawood also has a passion for medical education and teaching physicians-in-training. He’s a member of the American College of Gastroenterology, American Gastroenterological Association and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.
He earned his medical degree at Dow Medical College, Karachi, Pakistan, and completed his Internal Medicine residency at the University of Nevada School of Medicine, Las Vegas, where he served as chief resident. He then trained in a gastroenterology fellowship at the University of Nevada School of Medicine, Las Vegas, and an interventional gastroenterology fellowship at the University of Illinois, Chicago. He is board certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology by the American Board of Internal Medicine.
Manager of Graduate Medical Education, Rockford
Sue Sweeney is the Graduate Medical Education Manager for Mercyhealth GME Consortium in Rockford. She is a graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University and holds a Master’s Degree from the University of St. Francis in Health Services Administration. In addition to working in ACGME-accredited residencies, she has experience in health system operations, quality improvement, compliance and privacy.
Program Coordinator, GI Fellowship
Sally Al Najar, is a program coordinator for the gastroenterology fellowship in Rockford, IL. She graduated from Northern Illinois University with a BS degree in health care administration. Sally joined Mercyhealth in 2022, and she is happy to be a part of an organization that thrives for quality and patient care. She believes that growth happens because of diversity and that Mercyhealth represents that vision.
System Medical Director and Section Chief of Gastroenterology
Dr. Naser Khan believes in the mission of providing high-quality digestive health care with a focus on education and research. He works closely with the executive leadership team of Mercyhealth and guides overall strategy for the development of the Digestive Health Program.
In addition to his administrative role, Dr. Khan is an interventional endoscopist with interest in health care economics and serves on the Health and Public Policy Committee of the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. In this role, he works with one of the nation’s leading gastroenterology organizations and regularly meets with members of the US House of Representatives and Senate to promote and develop legislation to deliver high-quality digestive health care to those in need. He has performed more than 18,000 endoscopic procedures and is a Fellow of the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Illinois College of Medicine.
He earned his medical degree at Deccan College of Medical Sciences, India, and completed his residency at Lutheran General Hospital, Park Ridge, IL. He completed a gastroenterology fellowship at Lutheran General Hospital, Park Ridge, IL, and an advanced Pancreatico-Biliary Endoscopy fellowship at St. Luke’s Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI. He is board certified in gastroenterology by the American Board of Internal Medicine.
Core Teaching Staff
Dr. Thayer Hamoudah earned his medical degree at Chicago Medical School, North Chicago, IL. He served his residency and completed a gastroenterology and hepatology fellowship at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. He is board certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology by the American Board of Internal Medicine.
Core Teaching Staff
Dr. Shaina Lynch earned her medical degree at Midwestern University, Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, Glendale, AZ. She served her internal medicine residency at University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT. She then completed a fellowship in gastroenterology and hepatology at Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI. She is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.