Medically vulnerable populations in the United States, including 47 million uninsured people and many more who are underinsured, have woefully inadequate access to healthcare services and to Personal Medical Homes. The medically vulnerable are concentrated in rural areas and inner cities. Our department trains physicians to have the skills, desire, and tenacity to serve medically vulnerable populations, and to have a desire to improve the healthcare delivery systems for their populations. SIU Department of Family & Community Medicine has the distinct opportunity to develop exemplary healthcare

Parenting is a minefield, one littered with harmless myths and lethal falsehoods that could blow up spectacularly without warning. One of the most pervasive and deadly is the idea that vaccines cause autism. No matter how many experts debunk the myth, well-intentioned parents continue to step on this landmine in higher numbers than we’ve seen in our lifetimes. And when that happens? Boom.

Parenting is a minefield, one littered with harmless myths and lethal falsehoods that could blow up spectacularly without warning. One of the most pervasive and deadly is the idea that vaccines cause autism. No matter how many experts debunk the myth, well-intentioned parents continue to step on this landmine in higher numbers than we’ve seen in our lifetimes. And when that happens? Boom.

John M. Flack, MD, MPH, is a board-certified internal medicine specialist and an American Society of Hypertension (ASH)-certified Clinical Hypertension specialist. He completed an NIH post-doctoral fellowship in cardiovascular epidemiology at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. He received internal medicine residency training as well as his medical degree from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center where he was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) medical honor society; he also served as chief medical resident at OU. Flack also received a bachelor's degree in

written by Rebecca Budde - Dec. 20, 2016 The holiday season can be a stressful and even sad time for some people, which may be caused by unrealistic expectations. Some people experience the "holiday blues" during this time of year. In addition to some people missing loved ones and dealing with financial stresses, bad weather, shortened daylight hours and lack of sleep can lead to holiday blues. Dr. Kathy Bottum, assistant professor of psychiatry at SIU School of Medicine explains. "The holidays are often very, very difficult for people. Memories of past holidays with loved ones who are gone

written by Rebecca Buddy - Dec. 22, 2016 Did you know that the average weight gain between Thanksgiving and New Year’s is three to five pounds? Don’t let your belly turn into “a bowl full of jelly.” The holiday season may not be the best time to attempt weight loss with holiday parties and plentiful feasts, but it is possible to maintain your weight and not spread your waistline. With some planning, fitting holiday treats into a healthful eating plan is easy. All foods can fit into healthy eating plan if you choose smaller portions of high fat and calorie foods that are popular this time of

infographic by Lauren Murphy - Jan. 3, 2017 A good night’s sleep—every night—can be the key to better health. We talked to Dr. Mayank Sharma to find out how to get the best out of a good night's rest.

written by Rebecca Budde - Feb. 21, 2017 It’s an unfortunate fact that black Americans often have more health-care problems than other ethnic groups. According to the CDC, the life expectancy for the black population is 3.8 years lower than the life expectancy for the white population, which is due to higher death rates from heart disease, cancer, homicide, diabetes and perinatal conditions. In addition, some cancers are more prevalent in the African-American population and are generally discovered at more advanced stages. "Certain cancers either tend to affect minorities more often or tend to