Nextera Healthcare – Chicago Area

Founder and Chief Medical Officer of ImagineMD, Alex Lickerman, MD, direct primary care physician at ImagineMD, spent the first 20 years of his career as a leader at one of the top academic medical centers in the world, the University of Chicago, where he ran primary care for seven years and taught generations of today’s leaders in medicine. There he enjoyed a reputation as “a doctor’s doctor,” caring for many physicians who are themselves today considered leaders in their fields. He is a master clinician, routinely diagnosing medical problems that leave other doctors puzzled.

A nationally recognized speaker on the topic of resilience, his book, The Undefeated Mind: On the Science of Constructing an Indestructible Self, details evidence-based steps one can take to increase resilience and formed the basis of the landmark Resilience Project, which he created while at the University of Chicago. His second book, The Ten Worlds: The New Psychology of Happiness, details an entirely new psychological paradigm that explains how it’s possible to achieve a kind of happiness that can’t be destroyed by anything. Living by medicine’s most famous aphorism, “The secret of the care of the patient lies in caring for the patient,” he counts his tenacity in designing preventive care interventions, managing acute and chronic disease, and making the right diagnoses as his greatest strengths.

Dr. Lickerman lives in Chicago with his wife and son. He counts exercising, reading, writing, and lively conversation among his favorite pastimes.

Ashley Stoecker, DO, direct primary care physician at ImagineMD, had been practicing family medicine in a traditional hospital-based practice for more than ten years prior to joining ImagineMD. She believes that the doctor-patient relationship is crucial to providing excellent care. Being a direct primary care physician allows her to focus on these relationships.

She enjoys spending time and getting to know patients. She loves being able to take care of the entire family. She is passionate about educating and providing evidence-based guidance so that her patients feel empowered to make the best decisions for their care.

Dr. Stoecker lives in Naperville with her husband, three kids, two dogs, one cat, and one bearded dragon, all of which keep her quite busy!

Hira Hussain, MD, direct primary care physician at ImagineMD, is a board-certified family medicine physician with three years of specialized experience in treating patients of all ages with an evidence-based approach. She enjoys improving patient health and wellness.

She lives in Chicago with her husband and one-year-old son, who keeps her very busy! Outside work, she enjoys traveling, baking, and spending quality time with her family and friends.

Lisa Crutcher, MD, direct primary care physician at ImagineMD, had been practicing medicine for 20 years before deciding to become a direct primary care physician. She knew there had to be a better way to practice medicine that would allow her to care for patients as if they were family.

As a family practice physician, she values relationships with people and continuity of care. She really enjoys getting to know her patients. She chose family medicine because it’s a unique specialty that allows the physician to treat the whole person and incorporate all aspects of a patient’s life, family, and community experience into treatment decisions.

Dr. Crutcher was born and raised in Sycamore and continues to raise her family there with her husband of 20 years. She has four children, which keeps her life very busy. She enjoys family time, attending her children’s extracurricular activities, music, and photography.

Lisa Davidoff, MD, direct primary care physician at ImagineMD, worked as a primary care physician and educator at Loyola University Medical Center prior to joining ImagineMD.  As a med-peds physician, she specializes in internal medicine and pediatrics, allowing her to care for individuals and families throughout their lifespan. Doing this well requires trust, communication, and time—all of which she can prioritize as a direct primary care physician.

She values human connection and believes it’s fundamental to providing her patients with high-quality medical care. She loves really getting to know and understand her patients and their families. To her, caring for patients goes beyond identifying and treating a diagnosis.

Dr. Davidoff lives in Deerfield with her husband, two sons, and adorable dog. She enjoys swimming, hiking, cooking, traveling, and spending time with her family. 

Monica Fudala, direct primary care physician at ImagineMD, practiced family medicine for years in a spectrum of healthcare models before deciding to join ImagineMD. Her background in academia (as a former Assistant Professor at Northwestern University and core faculty for the University of Chicago family medicine residency) has cemented her interest in evidence-based medicine and teaching at all levels. She believes in educating and empowering patients to make decisions that are in their best health interest.

Dr. Fudala feels patients know their bodies best, making the physician’s most important job to listen well. She believes the physician-patient relationship is crucial in setting and achieving one’s healthcare goals. Through direct primary care, she’s able to provide exceptional care, practicing medicine the way it is supposed to be.

Dr. Fudala has experience managing complex medical cases in her previous role as Director of Inpatient Family Medicine where she worked in hospital medicine. As a former medical director for an outpatient value-based healthcare organization, she developed a keen insight into how preventive medicine not only facilitated cost savings but also led to happier and healthier patients. She has extensive experience managing complex conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, heart failure, and so on, and is most interested in nutrition counseling and weight loss.

Dr. Fudala speaks fluent Polish and conversational French and is an avid runner and yogi. In her spare time, she enjoys ballroom dancing and spending time with her husband and two boys.