Dear Friends,

Welcome to the 2023 Impact Report. The new title of our annual publication highlights the positive effect that Southern Illinois University School of Medicine has had since it was founded more than 50 years ago.

Our academic medical institution was distinctively designed to improve the health and well-being of the residents of Central and Southern Illinois.  In our infancy, we embraced innovative concepts: small group and problem-based learning, clinical simulations, and an emphasis on the medical humanities and community service.
Our innovations were quickly embedded in the curricula of medical schools across the U.S.   The SIU problem-based learning and standardized patient concepts achieved particular notoriety, the latter becoming part of the Step 2 Clinical Skills portion of the medical licensure examination. We made quite an impact.

Our graduates include physicians, physician assistants, researchers, scholars and scientists. More than 6,000 physicians have completed medical school, residency or fellowship at SIU.  About 40% of them practice in or near our geographic region. The success of our mission of social accountability is second to none.  We produce highly skilled, compassionate healers, teachers and thinkers. We remain focused on a simple vision: Better health for all.

Last year, SIU Medicine launched an internal communication campaign to recognize our remarkable physicians, researchers and staff members, to acknowledge the people who led us through the most tumultuous period in the history of modern medicine. We have now started an external champions campaign to highlight the roles we play for our communities.  

We will show our families, friends and neighbors that we are present to meet their needs. You’ll get a snapshot of it below. You too are our champions. With your support, we will continue to rise to meet the ever-changing demands of health care and health care education.

Dr. Jerry Kruse
Dean and Provost