SIU Medicine urologist Bradley Schwartz, DO, FACS, performs nearly 400 surgeries each year to remove kidney stones from patients. The hard deposits are made from minerals such as calcium, infection or other constituents such as uric acid that collect in the kidneys. They are sometimes small enough to pass naturally, but when they aren’t, they can cause obstruction, discomfort and often, intense pain. For Dr. Schwartz it’s also personal; he has had three stones himself and knows the big problems these little irritants can generate. In the past year, Schwartz has added a novel procedure to his

SIU Medicine urologist Bradley Schwartz, DO, FACS, performs nearly 400 surgeries each year to remove kidney stones from patients. The hard deposits are made from minerals such as calcium, infection or other constituents such as uric acid that collect in the kidneys. They are sometimes small enough to pass naturally, but when they aren’t, they can cause obstruction, discomfort and often, intense pain. For Dr. Schwartz it’s also personal; he has had three stones himself and knows the big problems these little irritants can generate. In the past year, Schwartz has added a novel procedure to his

SIU Medicine urologist Bradley Schwartz, DO, FACS, performs nearly 400 surgeries each year to remove kidney stones from patients. The hard deposits are made from minerals such as calcium, infection or other constituents such as uric acid that collect in the kidneys. They are sometimes small enough to pass naturally, but when they aren’t, they can cause obstruction, discomfort and often, intense pain. For Dr. Schwartz it’s also personal; he has had three stones himself and knows the big problems these little irritants can generate. In the past year, Schwartz has added a novel procedure to his

Dr. Erin Hascup, director of the Dale and Deborah Smith Center for Alzheimer's Research and Treatment, sat down with NPR Illinois' Vanessa Ferguson to discuss the latest in Alzheimer's disease on the program, Community Voices.

Dr. Erin Hascup, director of the Dale and Deborah Smith Center for Alzheimer's Research and Treatment, sat down with NPR Illinois' Vanessa Ferguson to discuss the latest in Alzheimer's disease on the program, Community Voices.

Dr. Erin Hascup, director of the Dale and Deborah Smith Center for Alzheimer's Research and Treatment, sat down with NPR Illinois' Vanessa Ferguson to discuss the latest in Alzheimer's disease on the program, Community Voices.

What brought you to SIU Medicine? I was born in Springfield and spent all of my childhood here, leaving only to go to college, then medical and graduate school. I always knew I wanted to return home eventually. I am fortunate that we have an excellent academic medical program as well as an outstanding hospital system in my hometown. It was an easy decision to move back home when I finished my training to establish my career. Why did you choose neurology as a focus? I was always fascinated with infectious disease stories when I was young, and this led me to start research with Dr. Linda Toth

A pharmacology and neuroscience student at SIU School of Medicine, Jesse Britz, along with Shelley Tischkau, PhD, and the Smith Alzheimer's Center Hascup Labs , recently researched the link between Alzheimer's and circadian rhythm (the body's 24-hour internal clock). Britz, who is from Divernon, earned his PhD this past December. Tell us about your recent research. The whole focus of the project started because sleep/wake cycles are heavily disrupted in Alzheimer’s. For a long time it’s been looked at as a symptom – sundowning is a term that is normally used. People in late-stage Alzheimer’s

SIU School of Medicine has 23 clinics and health service facilities in a 40,000 square mile expanse. It’s a distinctly rural area with more than 2.5 million people living in small urban areas, towns and farms. The SIU System Board of Trustees wants to develop a coordinated plan to unify the health services within this region and provide better rural health care to its residents. Its long-term goal is to position SIU as the nation’s leader in rural health care assessment, education and delivery. To aid the effort, a Rural Healthcare Work Group has been established to gather information and make

SIU School of Medicine has 23 clinics and health service facilities in a 40,000 square mile expanse. It’s a distinctly rural area with more than 2.5 million people living in small urban areas, towns and farms. The SIU System Board of Trustees wants to develop a coordinated plan to unify the health services within this region and provide better rural health care to its residents. Its long-term goal is to position SIU as the nation’s leader in rural health care assessment, education and delivery. To aid the effort, a Rural Healthcare Work Group has been established to gather information and make