Northfield Patient Care Team
Rachel Schmitt, Registered Nurse
Rachel brings a strong background in Oncology and Autoimmune Diseases to the nursing team. She has most recently dedicated her expertise to caring for individuals undergoing stem cell transplants at Northwestern Medicine. Rachel is committed to patient empowerment and advocacy. Her approachability, patience, and resilience in a medical setting have served her patients well. She is excited to join the Forward Focus team and continue to drive tangible, positive change in the lives of her patients. Rachel received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and her nursing degree from Loyola University, Chicago. Rachel is married and embraces the joyful chaos of home with her two young children (Charlotte, 6 and Bowden, 4) and Aussie puppy, Doc, when not at work.
Katie Synek, Registered Nurse
Katie is an experienced RN with a passion for delivering high-quality, compassionate, patient-centered care. She enjoys creating long-lasting and trusted relationships with patients and providers. She has been a nurse for over 35 years with clinical experience in the hospital, Long Term Care, Home Health, Internal Medicine, and, most recently, Infectious Diseases. A North Shore native, she and her husband, Rich, have 4 adult children. In her free time, she enjoys biking, water sports, walking her dog, and spending time with family.
Katherine Marek, Registered Nurse
Katherine Marek, DNP, RN received her Doctorate in nursing from Rush University in Chicago. She comes to us with 30 years of experience as an RN working most recently in Infectious Diseases and Infection Prevention. She brings warmth and compassion to our patients and finds it very meaningful helping others. She is married with three adult children and two cats. In her free time, she loves to read, go to the theatre with her family, take long walks, and travel.
Simona Gavojdian, Patient Services
Simona is a compassionate and dedicated member of our team. Her outgoing personality immediately puts our patients at ease. She comes to us after 14 years with NorthShore University Healthsystem -10 years of that with the Kellogg Cancer Center. Three and a half years at the Highland Park Kellogg Cancer Center, she supervised the front desk administrative staff. She has taken numerous continuing education courses in customer service and patient care. She enjoys spending time with her husband, daughter, son in law, and Coco, her little Maltese. She also enjoys traveling and taking walks.
Susie Seiling, COO
Susie Seiling brings a passion for exceptional customer care combined with over 30 years working in finance and operations. With an extensive array of experience running small businesses, Susie, a Lincolnshire native, is happy to be back on the North Shore as part of the Forward Focus family. As the mother of six children, Susie understands the importance of preventative health and wellness, as well as the value of personalized care. A natural nurturer, Susie’s gentle disposition and insight allow her to be the ideal patient advocate while also ensuring smooth operations that enable our staff to focus on patient care. Susie has been moonlighting as a community theatre director for over 25 years and can occasionally be found teaching classes and workshops. When away from work, Susie and her husband love to spend time boating and hanging out with their kids and grandson.
Lisa Lewis, Practice Manager
Lisa Lewis brings a wealth of experience in marketing and customer service to Forward Focus. She has joined our administrative team to enhance the communication and coordination of your care. Lisa also has a strong interest in fitness and wellness. She has worked as a personal trainer and fitness instructor for many years. She engages in a regular, well-rounded exercise program. Movement is central to her lifestyle and, in fact, dance was part of her college education. Lisa has two children and lives in the northwest suburbs.
Meliha Suljic, Medical Billing/Coding Specialist
Meliha "Mel" Suljic, CPC embodies the Forward Focus personalized and caring philosophy. In her role, she assists our team with sending claims to insurance companies and making sure that it is sent in a timely manner. Mel received her bachelor's degree in communication Disorders at Governors State University. We all benefit from her sense of humor and outgoing personality, and she generously volunteers her time to others in need. Outside the office, she enjoys spending time with her toddler son and seeing him becoming his own person and exploring different playgrounds. She also loves hiking, swimming, dancing, and singing karaoke in her car.
Amanda Hackney, Accounts Receivable Manager
Amanda brings to the practice 16 years of customer service experience as well as an associate’s degree in both arts and sciences. With 14 of those years being in the medical field, Amanda homed in on her attention to detail working in pharmacy, dental, and durable medical equipment, all the while maintaining kindness and a fun-loving spirit. With diligent organization, Amanda maintains patient memberships, manages incoming funds, as well as assists with administrative tasks. Amanda enjoys going to concerts, watching and playing sports, and most importantly, spending time with her husband and extended family.