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Riverside Healthcare Foundation has named Dr. Joehar Hamdan, an oncologist with the Riverside Cancer Institute, as its 2025 Samaritan of the Year. The award, now in its 51st year, honors individuals who have significantly contributed to Riverside through philanthropy and volunteer work.
Phil Kambic, President and CEO of Riverside Healthcare, announced the recognition during the annual President’s Circle Dinner on August 5. Kambic stated, "Congratulations and thank you to Dr. Hamdan. He is such a quality person and deserving of this recognition. Thank you so much for all you do for Riverside, for our patients, and for our community at large." Kambic added that when considering candidates for the award he “always thinks of someone who has been committed to Riverside, who has a long history of giving. But also… committed to the community. [Someone] committed to the people of this community and who continually gives back."
Dr. Hamdan has been with Riverside for nearly ten years and sees patients at both Bourbonnais and Frankfort offices. He grew up in Orland Park and attended Carl Sandburg High School before earning his medical degree from Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. His fellowship was completed at Midwestern University/Franciscan St. James Health with a focus on oncology and hematology.
Reflecting on his career choice, Dr. Hamdan said, “Why I chose a career in cancer medicine is because it fascinates me how our Creator made our human bodies and how understanding cell biology is so vast and deep, and there's still so many unknowns.” He described meaningful moments in his practice: “Really great days for me are when I see a patient who, when I first met [them], was in an excruciating amount of pain. And then when I see them weeks later and their pain is gone, they're moving around better, they high-five when you walk past the infusion room - that's what makes my day to know that they're better.”
Dr. Hamdan called receiving the honor “humbling.” He will be recognized again at the annual Samaritan Reception event scheduled for September 18.
The Samaritan of the Year award is part of Riverside’s Samaritan Society program recognizing philanthropic partners who contribute $150 or more annually through gifts or donations via https://myrhc.net/samaritan/. Since its founding in 1959 by local residents raising pledges to build a new hospital, charitable contributions have played an important role in supporting advancements in therapies, patient care excellence, and healthcare professional training at Riverside.
For further information about the event or making donations to support Riverside Healthcare Foundation programs, contact Logan Miller at 815-933-7799.
