Aeba Prince, PT, DPT
Aeba Prince, PT, DPT, is a Physical Therapist with a specialization in Vestibular Rehabilitation. She treats children and adults of all ages with both central and peripheral vestibular disorders such as vertigo (dizziness), motion sickness, cervicogenic dizziness, and balance and gait disorders. She graduated with a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from The College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota. She really enjoys treating patients suffering from vertigo, mainly Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV), due to the miracle-like nature of vestibular treatment. She has been working as a Vestibular physical therapist with Suburban Ear, Nose and Throat Associates since 2020.
Erin Brodnick, Au.D., CCC-A
Erin Au.D., CCC-A, has been an Audiologist for 25 years. She graduated with a Master’s degree from Miami University and Doctor of Audiology from A.T. Still University. Having worked in a variety of healthcare settings and research hospitals, Erin’s experience has brought her extensive knowledge in the field of audiology. She enjoys working alongside physicians who specialise in treating patients with hearing loss and diseases of the ear. Erin has experience in tinnitus management and enjoys learning about new and innovative technologies to help people with tinnitus and hearing loss.
Melissa Dowsett, Au.D., CCC-A
Melissa Dowsett, Au.D., CCC-A, has been an Audiologist for 20 years and has over 16 years of experience working for a busy ENT practice. She graduated with a Master’s degree from Northern Illinois University in Dekalb, IL and a Doctorate degree from Salus University in Elkins Park, PA. She is very excited to be joining the team at Suburban Ear, Nose and Throat Associates. Melissa has experience performing diagnostic audiological testing and also working with several advanced hearing aid manufacturers’ products. She looks forward to helping you with all your hearing healthcare needs.
On a personal level, Melissa is married and enjoys spending time bicycling and also with her nephew and niece. She loves to read and spend time relaxing at her family’s cabin in Eagle River, WI and also at her in-laws place in Cape Coral, FL. An interesting fact about her is she is an identical twin (good luck telling them apart) and also has a younger (but much taller) brother. You will definitely see her in the Fall with her husband and identical twin at all the Northern Illinois University home football games rooting for a win. GO HUSKIES!
Shannon Pachnik FNP-C
Shannon Pachnik a certified family nurse practitioner specializing in the care of children and adults of all ages with acute and chronic ENT conditions. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Loyola University Chicago and Master of Science in Nursing from Rush University College of Nursing. She is nationally board certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. She worked as a Registered Nurse in med/surg and Neuroscience ICU at Rush University Medical Center. She joined Suburban Ear, Nose, and Throat Associates in 2018. Her interests include hearing loss, tinnitus, vertigo and dizziness, and sinus disease.
Anne Marie Ditto, M.D.
Anne Marie Ditto, M.D. is the first Allergist-Immunologist to join Suburban ENT. She is originally from Rockford, Illinois, graduating from Rockford East High School in 1978. She got her undergraduate degree at Northwestern University, majoring in French and studying her junior year at La Sorbonne in Paris, France. She attended medical school at University of Illinois in Chicago and did a residency in Internal Medicine at Northwestern University. She completed her Allergy-Immunology fellowship at Northwestern where she remained as a faculty physician for 25 years, training over 100 fellows in Allergy-Immunology. She was also active in teaching residents and students, earning numerous teaching awards.
Dr. Ditto has extensive experience in treating a variety of allergic diseases such as drug allergy, food allergy, urticaria (hives), allergic rhinitis, eosinophilic esophagitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, eosinophilic disorders, venom (stinging insect) allergy and anaphylaxis. In addition to allergy treatment, Dr. Ditto also specializes in the diagnosis and management of asthma, a lung disease often associated with allergies. Asthma commonly presents with shortness of breath and wheezing, but oftentimes cough may be the only symptom of untreated asthma. It is well understood that poorly controlled allergies can exacerbate asthma, and conversely, good control of nasal allergies can significantly lessen asthma symptoms.
During her fellowship and early years as an attending she became a renowned expert in Idiopathic Anaphylaxis in both children and adults with patient referrals throughout North America including Canada and Mexico. She has numerous publications in peer reviewed journals, has written chapters in books, has edited 2 books and has presented at various allergy societies. She also served 5 years as a consultant for pulmonary-allergy drugs advisory committee for the FDA. Her special interest in asthma has led to her volunteering at a clinic for uninsured patients, where she started an asthma clinic 2010 and continues to see patients.
Dr. Ditto is a certified Pilates instructor and practices pilates regularly. She believes that exercise and good nutrition are very important to general health and she encourages this with her patients. Dr. Ditto also believes in an integrative approach to patient care. Since allergy often affects many parts of the body, she thinks physicians working together to improve patient care is important and she is very excited to join Suburban ENT.
Marci J. Pugnale, M.D.
BOARD CERTIFICATION
- Board Certified by the American Academy of Otolaryngology
- Member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
- Member of the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology
Marci J. Pugnale, M.D. is a Chicago native, and received her undergraduate degree at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She graduated from medical school at Rush Medical College in Chicago in 2007. She then completed an Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Residency at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio. She went on to obtain advanced training, completing a Pediatric Otolaryngology fellowship at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Pugnale has received extensive training in all subspecialty areas of our field, with a special concentration in Pediatric ENT concerns, including sleep apnea, chronic sinus disease, recurrent ear infections, hearing loss, congenital disorders of the head and neck, recurrent tonsillitis, head and neck masses and velopharyngeal insufficiency. Additionally, she has a strong interest in the treatment of pediatric complex airway disease with open and endoscopic techniques.
Dr. Pugnale is board-certified by the American Academy of Otolaryngology and is a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery as well as the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology. She has participated in surgical mission work in Haiti, has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed ENT journals and presented her work at national Otolaryngology meetings.
Maria L. Wittkopf, M.D.
BOARD CERTIFICATION
- Board Certified by the American Board of Otolayngology
- Member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
- the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology
- Member of the American Medical Association
- Member of Illinois State Medical Society
Maria L. Wittkopf, M.D. is one of the two non-Chicago natives in the group. She received her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of California, Berkeley. She attended medical school at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, TN from where she graduated in 2005. She then stayed on to complete her residency in Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, which she finished in 2010. After working for one year at Suburban Ear, Nose & Throat Associates, Dr. Wittkopf left for a fellowship in Pediatric Otolaryngology at the Medical College of Wisconsin, which she completed in 2012.
Dr. Wittkopf has received extensive training in all subspecialty areas of our field, with a special concentration in the area of Pediatric Otolaryngology and disorders including tonsil and adenoid disorders, sleep apnea, recurrent ear infections and hearing loss, pediatric neck masses and congenital disorders of the head and neck, chronic sinus disease, as well as pediatric airway disease.
Dr. Wittkopf is board-certified by the American Academy of Otolaryngology and is a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology, as well as the American Medical Association, and the Illinois State Medical Society. She has participated in surgical mission work in Nigeria as well as Pediatric Otolaryngology mission work in Guatemala. She has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and has presented her work at national Otolaryngology meetings. Dr. Wittkopf is a wife and a mom and looks forward to serving our patients of all ages with compassionate, state-of-the-art care.
Allan A. Ho, M.D.
BOARD CERTIFICATION
- Board Certified by the American Board of Otolayngology
- Member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
- Member of the American Medical Association and Illinois State Medical Society
- Fellow in the American College of Surgeons
Allan A. Ho, M.D. attended high school at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy and then graduated from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. He was selected to the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and went on to complete residency training at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Eye and Ear Infirmary. He has been a member of Suburban ENT Associates since 2006.
Kirk R. Clark, M.D.
BOARD CERTIFICATION
- Board Certified by the American Board of Otolayngology
- Member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
- Member of the American Medical Association and Illinois State Medical Society
- Fellow in the American College of Surgeons
Kirk R. Clark, M.D. received both undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He served as Chief Resident in Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Eye and Ear Infirmary and joined Suburban ENT Associates in 2004.
Glenn J. Schwartz, M.D.
BOARD CERTIFICATION
- Board Certified by the American Board of Otolayngology
- Member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
- Member of the American Medical Association and Illinois State Medical Society
- Fellow in the American College of Surgeons
Glenn J. Schwartz, M.D. received his undergraduate training from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. After graduating Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Speech Communication, he attended the University of Illinois at Chicago's College of Medicine, where he graduated with honors. He was selected to the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society where he served as president.
Dr. Schwartz then went on to complete his Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery residency training at the University of Illinois at Chicago's Eye and Ear Infirmary, serving the West Side Veterans Hospital, Cook County Hospital, Michael Reese Hospital, Christ Hospital, and Children's Memorial Hospital.
His interests include thyroid and parathyroid disorders, minimally invasive parathyroid surgery, office based nasal and sinus procedures (balloon sinuplasty, turbinate reduction, VivAer nasal valve repair), head and neck cancer, neck masses in adults and children, complicated nasal airway reconstruction and revision nasal surgery, and tonsil and adenoid disorders. Dr. Schwartz is board certified in Otolaryngology and a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery and he is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
He joined Suburban Ear, Nose, and Throat Associates in 2000. He sees patients of all ages and looks forward to providing compassionate care for you and your family.
