Noted Chicago Neurosurgeon to Open Clinic in Lake County in March

Noted Chicago neurosurgeon Leonard Cerullo, MD is opening a clinic for Lake and McHenry neurosurgery patients in Vernon Hills in March.

About 15 percent of patients from the Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch medical group in Chicago come from McHenry and Lake County , according to Cerullo. Currently, these patients drive more than an hour to see Cerullo and his team of neurosurgeons, physiatrists and neurologists.

"The distance (to Chicago ) can be an impediment for patients who just need a follow up or a consultation," he said. Cerullo currently has a residence in Woodstock and some of his neurosurgeons live in the northern suburbs, so Cerullo has connections to the area and has seen how fast the area is growing.

The clinic will be located at the Mercatus Physician Center at 565 Lakeview Parkway and Cerullo anticipates he and his team will see patients initially on Fridays and Saturdays and expand to daily clinics beginning in May.

Currently, Lake County is experiencing tremendous growth, yet the number of neurosurgeons in the region has not kept pace, Cerullo said. According to the Census Department, the population of Lake County increased by approximately nine percent in the five-year period between 2000 and 2005, from more than 644,000 to 702,000 people.

The new CINN clinic will offer CT and MRI imaging, physical medicine and neurosurgery consults, and physical therapy.

CINN has a history of opening satellite clinics as a way to bring excellent neurosurgery services to patients who cannot always drive short distances to Chicago-based hospitals, Cerullo said. Currently, the Chicago based neurosurgery practice has clinics in Highland Park , Elmhurst , Skokie and Harvey . In the past, Cerullo's neurosurgeons have staffed clinics as far away as Kankakee and Peru , Ill.

To promote the new clinic, Cerullo said he will hold a reception for local doctors in mid-March. Advertising and other local marketing efforts are also being considered.

The Neurologic & Orthopedic Hospital of Chicago is the country's first freestanding acute care hospital dedicated exclusively to neuroscience and orthopedic services. It utilizes breakthrough technology and minimally invasive techniques as well as advanced procedures for neurosurgery, orthopedics, pain management, neuro-oncology, sports medicine, and rehabilitation.