Correction: Sarina Kailer’s first name was misspelled in this story. The Chronicle apologizes for the error.
Face2Face Maxillofacial Surgery Centre, a private medical practice in eastern Homewood specializing in head and neck surgeries, celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house on Wednesday, Jan. 21.
Face2Face, owned by surgeon Robin Gallardi, offers a range of surgical services, including but not limited to wisdom tooth extractions, dental implants, sleep apnea treatment, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder treatment, reconstructive surgery after automobile accidents and cosmetic surgery.
“It’s quite a range. And people don’t always realize all the things that we actually do here,” Gallardi said. “Which makes my day exciting, because I get to do something new and different all the time.”
“We finally did the ribbon cutting,” Face2Face office manager Sarina Kailer said. “It’s been a long journey, but it’s very exciting to be here.”
Gallardi and Kailer were joined by Homewood village officials and other Face2Face staff members to cut the blue ribbon, officially marking the move from Chicago Heights to 17936 South Halsted St. in Homewood.
The business gave away drawstring bags, hand sanitizer, shot glasses, water bottles and Post-it notepads with the Face2Face logo to community members at the open house, an event that started after the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Gallardi, originally from Canada, said she practiced dentistry in Toronto before moving to the United States, where she pursued surgical work. She said Face2Face began at a smaller facility in north suburban Glenview before she took over the Oral Surgery Center in Chicago Heights, where she’d been working.
a surgical room. (Nick Ulanowski H-F Chronicle)
“Because this practice was really busy, I decided to close my satellite practice up north. But I took all the branding and marketing, and renamed the office down here ‘Face2Face,’” Gallardi said.
Explaining why Face2Face moved to Homewood, Gallardi said the Chicago Heights facility was an old building that needed renovations. To get what she wanted out of her practice, Gallardi said she either had to close Face2Face temporarily for remodeling or move it to a new location, and she chose the latter.
“Patients come here (from) as far as Crown Point, Kankakee, Bourbonnais and as far as the city. And that’s because between the city and southern Illinois, there’s not a lot of specialty in my area,” Gallardi said. “Any of the patients in Chicago Heights, they’ll come to us.”
Homewood village trustee Jay Heiferman said Gallardi removed his late wife’s wisdom teeth about five or six years ago, adding that it was “a very positive experience in a situation that might not have been so pleasant.”
“It’s big. It’s modern,” said Terrance Acquah, assistant to the village manager in Homewood, after Gallardi gave him and other village officials a tour of the facility. “I just like to see these businesses take over vacant properties.”
“This place is pristine,” Homewood Mayor Rich Hofeld said. “Anyone who needs these services, I highly recommend they come here.”
Face2Face is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturday from 8 a.m. until noon.
