Our Team

Dale R. Gray, MD, HMDC, has been an internal medicine physician for 37 years, 22 of those years in private practice in Rockford. He brings six years of hospice experience to Northern Illinois Hospice. In his role as medical director, he is responsible for the medical component of the hospice program.

He graduated from Houghton College (NY) in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, Summa Cum Laude. He earned his medical degree from the University of Illinois. He then completed his Internal Medicine Residency at the University of Rochester, Rochester General Hospital, and served a year as Chief Resident. Early in his career, he helped open the Crusader Clinic office on Kishwaukee Street in Rockford, worked as a staff physician at the Rockford Clinic, and helped start the Hospitalist Program at Rockford Memorial Hospital, serving as its medical director. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine, and the National Board of Physicians and Surgeons.

Dr. Wollstadt brought a wealth of experience to Northern Illinois Hospice, since 2019. He had previously worked as a hospice physician for several years. Currently, he is an Associate Professor of Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine, at the University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford. In addition, Dr. Wollstadt served as Director of the University Primary Clinic in Mount Morris and staff physician for KSB Hospital Primary Care Clinic.

Dr. Wollstadt retired as Medical Director at Pinecrest Manor Nursing Home, Mount Morris, and in Spring 2022 retired from seeing nursing home patients. Dr Wollstadt’s publications include Medical Education in the Ambulatory Setting: An Evaluation as well as numerous peer-reviewed articles. He is board certified in Internal Medicine with a specialty in Geriatrics. He has earned a Master of Science from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and attended medical school at the University of Pittsburgh.

Lauren Ives, MD, joined Northern Illinois Hospice in 2019. Board certified in Family Medicine, Dr. Ives’ practice is located at SwedishAmerican’s Valley Clinic in Rockford. She completed medical school at Ross University School of Medicine and residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. As a family physician, Dr. Ives cares for the entire family from pediatrics through geriatrics. She especially enjoys seeing entire families as a part of her care and learning not only about their medical ailments but also their unique stories and personalities. She finds purpose in supporting patients and their families through their hospice transition and making the journey is as easy as possible for them. Dr. Ives and her husband grew up in northern Illinois and are happy to raise their family in Rockford. She is a fan of Disney, traveling and reading.

Dr. Ross is a physician who was in private practice for over 30 years and now serves as a Clinical Associate Professor and Program Director for the Family Medicine Residency program at the University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford. A graduate of Loyola Stritch Medical School, he completed his family practice residency at Rockford Medical Education Foundation and his faculty development fellowship at Michigan State University’s Office of Medical Education Research and Development.

Dr. Weis is a family medicine physician with Northwestern Medicine Regional Medical Group. A graduate of Rush University Medical College, she completed her family medicine residency at West Suburban Medical Center.