Director - H. Steven Sims, MD
Dr. Sims (pronouns: he/him) is the director of the Chicago Institute for Voice Care at the UIC Medical Center in Chicago. He is a board certified laryngologist who chose a career in professional voice care as an extension of his two passions, medicine and singing. A graduate of the Yale University School of Medicine, H. Steven Sims, MD completed a clinical fellowship at the Vanderbilt Voice Center and is a current appointee of the National Institute on Deafness and Communication Disorders Advisory Council with the National Institutes of Health. He is also an accomplished musician who plays trombone, bassoon and piano. While an undergraduate at Yale University he was a member of choirs and he is an experienced vocalist as well.
His personal experiences and education are employed to address the problems of singers, performing artists and other voice professionals. The Chicago Institute for Voice Care is dedicated to increasing the awareness and treatment of the unique issues faced by performing artists and providing comprehensive care. He has worked with opera soloists and cast members of "Wicked", "Hamilton", "Jersey Boys", "Book of Mormon" and numerous other shows as well as Chicago's Oscar winning Dreamgirl.
Jeffrey Yu, MD
Dr. Jeffery Yu, is an Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology, specializing in Otology (expert in hearing issues). As part of our comprehensive care team, we work with an Otologist for voice professionals who are at risk for hearing loss. Dr. Yu also works with MusiCares, fitting performers with ear protection to reduce noise exposure during stage shows. He also works with the Chicago Public School System and aligns with our commitment to helping teachers with voice problems – for example, teachers may feel the need to project louder if they are educating children with hearing loss so his work to identify and address hearing loss in the students can benefit the teachers.
Dr. Yu obtained his medical degree from Queen’s University School of Medicine in Kingston, Ontario, Canada and residency in otolaryngology at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He then went to Charlottesville, Virginia and completed a fellowship in Neurotology at the University of Virginia.
Administrative Assistant - Diana Guzman
Diana has been in the Department of Otolaryngology for 15 years and serves as an administrative assistant to Dr. Sims. She personifies the core values of UI Health, compassion, accountability, respect and excellence. She will direct you through the registration process (new patients) and will assist you with scheduling an appointment.
Medical Assistant - Vanessa A. Lucas, CMA
Vanessa Lucas will be the first person to meet you. She will greet you with a smile and assist you with intake information. She will provide you with the best patient satisfaction she possibly can.
Ms. Lucas will assist with placing you in a room and gathering information to help us take better care of you. She kind and efficient and will help make your visit as pleasant as possible. She will warmly greet you and help you through the process. Please assist us by having information available about your pharmacy and your other doctors.