Since early 2020, health care systems around the world have been adapting to the pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now deep into its second year, its impact cannot be understated.

Since early 2020, health care systems around the world have been adapting to the pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now deep into its second year, its impact cannot be understated.

Constantly moving medical care upstream Tucked in the far corner of John Flack’s finished basement is the fish room, a space filled floor to ceiling with aquariums — 135 of them, to be exact. Each provides a home to a breed of fancy guppies, small fish of every hue and variety, serenely checking on the neighbors and the guests who have entered their marine habitat. This is a relaxing space for Flack. What started as a hobby at the age of 10 is now his “other full-time job,” one that requires ongoing care and high organizational skill. Fortunately for the exotic fish moving around the filtered

Constantly moving medical care upstream Tucked in the far corner of John Flack’s finished basement is the fish room, a space filled floor to ceiling with aquariums — 135 of them, to be exact. Each provides a home to a breed of fancy guppies, small fish of every hue and variety, serenely checking on the neighbors and the guests who have entered their marine habitat. This is a relaxing space for Flack. What started as a hobby at the age of 10 is now his “other full-time job,” one that requires ongoing care and high organizational skill. Fortunately for the exotic fish moving around the filtered

As a USPS mail carrier and mother of three, Tricia Duckworth began struggling with depression in her mid-20s. She felt tired, anxious and struggled to find a reason to get out of bed. As her symptoms progressed, she began seeing Karen Broquet, MD, a psychiatrist at SIU Medicine. Through the years, Dr. Broquet and Duckworth tried a variety of drug therapies to treat her depression. Ultimately, she was on the highest allowed dose of Effexor (venlafaxine) and could function on an interim basis. Unfortunately, the side effects were often as challenging as the depression itself. “I was treated with

As a USPS mail carrier and mother of three, Tricia Duckworth began struggling with depression in her mid-20s. She felt tired, anxious and struggled to find a reason to get out of bed. As her symptoms progressed, she began seeing Karen Broquet, MD, a psychiatrist at SIU Medicine. Through the years, Dr. Broquet and Duckworth tried a variety of drug therapies to treat her depression. Ultimately, she was on the highest allowed dose of Effexor (venlafaxine) and could function on an interim basis. Unfortunately, the side effects were often as challenging as the depression itself. “I was treated with

As a USPS mail carrier and mother of three, Tricia Duckworth began struggling with depression in her mid-20s. She felt tired, anxious and struggled to find a reason to get out of bed. As her symptoms progressed, she began seeing Karen Broquet, MD, a psychiatrist at SIU Medicine. Through the years, Dr. Broquet and Duckworth tried a variety of drug therapies to treat her depression. Ultimately, she was on the highest allowed dose of Effexor (venlafaxine) and could function on an interim basis. Unfortunately, the side effects were often as challenging as the depression itself. “I was treated with

Last March, Vidya Sundareshan, MD, was on her first family vacation in more than a year, traveling to San Antonio, Tx., to attend her brother’s wedding. Sundareshan had been named co-chief of the SIU Department of Internal Medicine’s Division of Infectious Diseases (with colleague Vidhya Prakash, MD) on March 1. The trip was a welcome break and an opportunity to tend to her own needs as a busy physician. However, her vibrating phone kept reminding her that multiple health care systems were preparing for the inevitable. The coronavirus outbreak that had been an overseas occurrence before the

Last March, Vidya Sundareshan, MD, was on her first family vacation in more than a year, traveling to San Antonio, Tx., to attend her brother’s wedding. Sundareshan had been named co-chief of the SIU Department of Internal Medicine’s Division of Infectious Diseases (with colleague Vidhya Prakash, MD) on March 1. The trip was a welcome break and an opportunity to tend to her own needs as a busy physician. However, her vibrating phone kept reminding her that multiple health care systems were preparing for the inevitable. The coronavirus outbreak that had been an overseas occurrence before the

Tiayrra Kirkwood - MEDPREP Class of 2021 Before enrolling in SIU’s post-baccalaureate preparatory program, Chicago Heights native Tiayrra Kirkwood was a caseworker for the State of Illinois. What did you want to be when you were young? Even as a child, I knew I wanted to be a physician. I had a Fisher-Price medical kit filled with Band-Aids, a thermometer, a blood pressure cuff, and even a stethoscope! I loved going around playing “doctor” with my friends and family. Tell us about your life prior to entering MEDPREP. I was a caseworker for the Illinois Department of Human Services, working 8