UChicago Medicine acquires 4 oncology centers in Northwest Indiana

The University of Chicago Medicine is expanding its world-class cancer care in Northwest Indiana with the acquisition of four regional oncology centers from Michiana Hematology Oncology (MHO).

The acquisition, completed September 1, 2023, adds MHO’s former practice locations in Chesterton, Crown Point, Hobart and Valparaiso to UChicago Medicine’s cancer care network. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Patients who previously received care at these locations will continue to be treated by their same doctors and clinicians.

In connection with the acquisition, physicians Mohamed Farhat, MD, and Eduardo Braun, MD, and advanced practice providers Jody Adams and Lindsay Humpfer will join UChicago Medicine’s staff of more than 200 cancer specialists.

“This team of highly skilled, compassionate providers will continue to provide a full range of cancer care in a community setting while also being able to connect patients with UChicago Medicine’s world-class specialists,” said Sonali Smith, MD, Chief of the Section of Hematology/Oncology at UChicago Medicine. “This underscores our shared values of providing high-quality care and innovative therapies, and we are pleased to bring our cancer care to patients in Northwest Indiana.”

The established oncology practices, which include services such as chemotherapy infusion, will join UChicago Medicine’s expanding cancer care services across the Chicago area and Northwest Indiana.

UChicago Medicine is building a multispecialty care center and microhospital in Crown Point, at I-65 and 109^th Avenue. The former MHO locations in Crown Point and Hobart will eventually move into this building after it opens in spring 2024. The other two sites will remain in their current locations.

“We are creating a hub for all health services, including cancer, in our new Crown Point outpatient center,” said Amy Ross, Executive Vice President and Chief Growth & Strategy Officer at UChicago Medicine. “This will help patients get exceptional care closer to home. And being able to access cancer treatments without traveling a great distance means patients will have more time to focus on themselves and their path to recovery.”

Additionally, UChicago Medicine will break ground later this month on a first-of-its-kind, 575,000-square-foot cancer care and research facility on its main campus in the Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side.

Beyond its robust multidisciplinary research, personalized therapies and clinical trials, the new freestanding pavilion will be home to a suite of support services for cancer patients and families. Those services will range from screenings and cancer prevention to lifestyle classes, nutrition education and survivor support.

The academic health system is already home to one of only 72 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the country. The health system’s cancer center was ranked No. 16 in the country by U.S. News & World Report in its 2023 annual survey and No. 25 in the country by Newsweek.

UChicago Medicine is well established in Northwest Indiana, with specialty care offices in Merrillville, Munster and Schererville.