Gibson Area Hospital & Health Services | Gibson gets it! | Fall/Winter 2019

8 www. GibsonHospital.org A t the impressionable age of 16—when getting a driver’s license and a good SAT score is what you’d expect to be on the mind of a suburban high school student—Kristina Dakis, MD, already knew she wanted to be a primary care physician. Having witnessed the experiences of her parents as they developed health problems when she was a teenager, her interest in medicine was not just a passion, it was personal. A proud, lifelong Illinoisan Dr. Dakis grew up in Naperville, attended Illinois Wesleyan University for her undergraduate degree and pursued her medical training at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). She fell in love with full-spectrum family medicine, including maternity care, reproductive health, pediatrics and caring for aging patients with chronic diseases. She chose to stay at UIC to complete her residency because she appreciated the institution’s academic rigor, emphasis on caring for medically underserved patient populations and strong women’s health curriculum. During her time at UIC, Dr. Dakis was admitted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honors Society and received multiple awards, including the Illinois Academy of Family Physicians President Award and the American Academy of Family Physicians Award for Excellence in Graduate Medical Education. In addition to these accolades, after her residency she took on an obstetrics fellowship at the University of Illinois in Peoria to develop even more expertise in women’s health and maternity care. A perfect fit It was through her service in numerous advocacy and leadership roles, including that of the student and resident representative to the Illinois Academy of Family Physicians Board of Directors, that Dr. Dakis first met local board-certified family physician David J. Hagan, MD, FAAFP, CPE, and learned about Gibson Area Hospital (GAH) and its strong culture of family practice-based medicine. She designed a rotation in Gibson City during her residency to see what all the excitement was about, and she realized it was a perfect fit. Dr. Dakis now looks forward to representing GAH and her patients at the state and national level as she continues to pursue leadership roles as a family physician. Dr. Dakis is now beginning to get to know the families she cares for and is happy to be settling down with her husband, Dan, a professional jazz saxophone player. The two of them enjoy cooking; playing the clarinet and saxophone together; and walking their two chihuahuas, Henri and Chloe. They hope to eventually start a family. Not one to rest on her laurels, Dr. Dakis also trained for and completed her first half-marathon in September. She brings that same tireless energy and enthusiasm to her practice, making sure that each of her patients receives her best personal care and attention possible. Energy and enthusiasm for family medicine Dr. Dakis is keen on the full spectrum of care “ The physicians at Gibson Area Hospital practice family medicine the way it was meant to be practiced. As a new physician looking to make a difference by doing everything from delivering babies to caring for aging populations, rotating in Gibson Area Hospital made me excited about my future. This was a place I could reach my career goals of caring for entire families and serving a community. ”