Oak Brook physician honored with prestigious award

An Oak Brook physician has been named an inaugural recipient of the St. George Foundation Distinguished Physician Award. This is a prestigious and rare honor as only 12 other Northwestern Medicine physicians hold the title of Distinguished Physician.

Franjo Siric, MD, surgical director, Northwestern Medicine Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute (BCVI) at Palos Hospital, received the Cardiac Surgery award.

These awards recognize physicians who achieve the highest personal and professional achievements in their respective fields, as well as individuals who serve as role models for medical students, residents and attending physicians. The St. George Foundation is a private foundation dedicated to promoting the general health of the community in the southwest suburbs of Chicago.

“We believe that world-class care should be available close to where people live and that the continuum of disease prevention, early detection and expert treatment are all critical elements for the community,” said Terrence Moisan, MD, president of The St. George Foundation. “Our St. George directors proudly support these extremely talented recipients of the St. George Foundation Distinguished Physician honors.”

Dr. Siric is the newly appointed surgical director of BCVI at Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital. In this role he will oversee the growth of cardiac surgical programs, including complex and minimally invasive procedures, and work together with Dr. R. Kannan Mutharasan, medical director, to expand heart care to patients in the south and southwest suburbs of Chicago.

Following his initial training and practice in his native Croatia, Dr. Siric completed advanced fellowships at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School and the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Siric joined Northwestern Medicine in November 2023 from the Christiana Care Health System in Delaware.

“We were fortunate to recruit Dr. Siric. His skillset will be of particular value given the complex cardiac pathology we see in Chicago’s south and southwest suburbs,” said Douglas R. Johnston, MD, chief, cardiac surgery at Northwestern Medicine Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute. “The appointment of Dr. Siric solidifies Northwestern Medicine’s position as the leader in cardiac surgery throughout the Chicagoland area.”

Three other Palos Hospital physicians were honored with the St. George Foundation Distinguished Physician Award. Dr. Mutharasan received the Cardiology award. Drew Spencer, MD, medical director of neurosurgery, is the inaugural recipient in Neurosurgery. Timothy Kuzel, MD, medical director of the Northwestern Medicine St. George Cancer Institute, was honored with the Oncology award.