Underserved communities to benefit from population health approach To better address all aspects of patients’ health, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine is thinking differently. “Think beyond the individual patient office visit,” said Janet Albers, MD, professor and chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine. “Health workers must take a population health approach to caring for patients. That means understanding how patients’ lifestyles and home environments can affect their health.” For example, families living in areas with high crime rates may not feel safe to

Family physicians in nine Illinois communities are hosting students from Southern Illinois University School of Medicine July 7 – 29. The students are participating in the school’s Family Medicine Preceptorship Program. The experience provides an opportunity for students to use their medical knowledge in an office setting under the supervision of an experienced physician. The students choose from more than 160 family practice physicians in Illinois for their preceptorship experience. They will graduate from medical school in May 2017 and May 2018, then pursue advanced training in a specific

Family physicians in nine Illinois communities are hosting students from Southern Illinois University School of Medicine July 7 – 29. The students are participating in the school’s Family Medicine Preceptorship Program. The experience provides an opportunity for students to use their medical knowledge in an office setting under the supervision of an experienced physician. The students choose from more than 160 family practice physicians in Illinois for their preceptorship experience. They will graduate from medical school in May 2017 and May 2018, then pursue advanced training in a specific

A new partnership between Simmons Cancer Institute (SCI) at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield and Litchfield Oncology Institute will expand area cancer patients’ access to cancer care. Sherjeel Sana, MD, assistant professor of hematology/oncology at SCI, will hold clinic hours every Tuesday at the clinic located at 1201 East Union in Litchfield. Appointments can be made by calling 217-545-8000. Sana said SCI physicians also travel to Staunton and Jacksonville. “This is a continuation of our efforts to provide oncology services to patients closer to their homes.”

Dale Smith, Chair Kari Wolf, MD, Vice Chair Sheref Unal, MD Beau Batton, MD Jerry Kruse, MD, Dean, CEO John Flack, MD, MPH Jan Rakinic, MD Aziz Khan, MD Ricardo Loret de Mola, MD Sarah Phalen John Simmons Lucy Stafford

Patients of SIU HealthCare now have easy, free and secure access to their personal health information online, allowing them to request appointments, refill prescriptions, view lab results and receive updates to changes in their health record. Launched Oct. 1, the password-protected patient portal, available at SIUHealthCare.org , “allows patients to directly communicate with their doctors’ offices, manage their health and their family’s health online and request prescription refills anywhere using a computer, smartphone or tablet,” said Harald Lausen, DO, MA, chief medical officer of SIU

A new partnership between Simmons Cancer Institute (SCI) at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and Passavant Area Hospital in Jacksonville will expand area cancer patients’ access to cancer care. Edem Agamah, MD, MS, FACP, formerly of Central Illinois Hematology Oncology Center in Springfield, has joined Simmons Cancer Institute and will see patients on Tuesdays in Jacksonville. Swati Pathak, MD, assistant professor of internal medicine at SIU School of Medicine, will begin seeing patients on Mondays in November at Passavant. Pathak is also a member of Simmons Cancer Institute

Arts and Culture If you enjoy history, there are many historic sites and museums to visit in Springfield and the surrounding area. One of the most engaging is the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum. Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site, about 20 minutes north of Springfield, is another popular destination. Along with the recreated village from the 1800s, the Theatre in the Park at New Salem hosts a variety of theatrical performances from April to August. The Dana-Thomas House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for Springfield socialite Susan Dana, is an architectural gem worth experiencing

Harald Lausen, DO, MA, the chief medical officer of SIU HealthCare and assistant dean for clinical education at the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, has been appointed chair of the Bureau of Osteopathic Education for the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). The AOA Bureau of Osteopathic Education studies the full continuum of osteopathic medical education and makes recommendations to the AOA board on ways to improve osteopathic medical education and policies that support educational accreditation and certification programs. Lausen, a professor of clinical family & community