Elizabeth Bockewitz, M.D.
Specialties
Cancer SurvivorCare, HematologyLocations
Galesburg, PeoriaBoard Certifications:
American Board of Emergency MedicineStaff Education:
Illinois Wesleyan University BASouthern Illinois University School of Medicine MD
University of Illinois College of Medicine - Peoria, Emergency Medicine Residency
Family Information:
My husband, Brandon, and I are kept busy by our two girls. Like most parents with young kids, we have little time for ourselves, but find our days full of Paw Patrol, stories, mud kitchen cooking, Legos, art projects and cleaning up all that those activities entail…constantly. Especially the mud kitchen. To add to our little piece of craziness, we have been homeschooling since the pandemic started and find great joy in watching their minds and worldview grow.Hobbies / Interests:
I enjoy gardening, spending time in nature whether hiking/mountain biking/skiing, reading, listening to podcasts about education, and corralling my children to get them to their next activity.What medical change has impacted the field of cancer the most since you began practicing medicine?
From my perspective, the revolution of immunotherapy has changed metastatic disease into a chronic condition as I’ve seen many more patients living well with advanced disease.Why did you choose your field?
After many years of practice in the hospital, in an intense, often critical, disease-focused environment, I came to realize I desired a new relationship dynamic with the practice of medicine. I am looking forward to being able to devote myself toward patient wellness and prevention of disease, while using my years of diagnostic experience to monitor my patient’s closely for signs of relapse. After the intensive treatment that cancer requires and the required focus on the disease process, restoration of personal wholeness and a new path to a healthy lifestyle that decreases cancer risk and optimizes life enjoyment is essential. My hopes for the Illinois CancerCare Cancer SurvivorCare program are for our patients to find support moving forward in their post-cancer life path, whether that be with help making lifestyle changes or the treatment of cancer therapy’s long-term effects, and to soften their anxiety burden regarding recurrence with a clinic devoted to specialized clinical monitoring.Why did you choose Illinois CancerCare?
After working in the Peoria healthcare system for the last 17 years, I have had the privilege to work with the oncologists of Illinois CancerCare for our mutual patients. I have always been impressed with the dedication of Illinois CancerCare physicians and their personal knowledge of their patients. The group’s mission to serve patients with the highest quality care is apparent and what drew me to Illinois CancerCare.Do you have any advice to give patients after they have been diagnosed with cancer?
Coming from practicing in acute, critical care environment, I’ve been left with an ingrained awareness of the fragility of life. That we do not know what the future holds is often said, but when a life-threatening event occurs that truism resonates in a deep, unsettling manner. Focusing on that fragility, while human, is futile; Search for peace by re-centering yourself on the present; find what you appreciate in this day, or even this moment, as that gratitude will lift your heart upwards.
