Family Medicine Outpatient Clinic - Carbondale

The goal of the SIU Center for Family Medicine Geriatric Program is to optimize the health of the older adults in Central and Southern Illinois through excellent patient care, education, service to the community and research.

The SIU Center for Family Medicine Geriatric Program will become a national model for excellence as a regionally focused, community-based center developed on the following principles:

• Promotion of healthy aging
• Maintenance of the dignity and independence of older adults
• Utilization of interdisciplinary teams of health care providers specializing in the care of older adults
• Coordination longitudinally of care by dedicated case managers
• Integration of cutting edge methodology and research
• Development of future geriatricians via the training of students, residents and fellows
• Development of future health care providers with the expertise necessary to treat older patients with skill, sensitivity and respect and
• Ensure the quality of care for older adults continues to improve

The SIU Center for Family Medicine Geriatric Program specializes in the unique care needs of individuals age 60+ and in treating conditions that commonly occur with aging. We focus on the physical, psychological and social needs, as well as treatments of older adults.

As our bodies age, our health care needs change. We use an interdisciplinary team approach to meet the complex needs of older adults. Our geriatric care team includes specially trained doctors and nurses, social workers, behavioral health, case managers, pharmacists, dieticians and an advance-care planning specialist providing excellent care for older adults. The care team is compassionately committed to assisting patients, family members and caregivers to optimize function, maintain health and ensure the highest quality of life. We develop care plans with tailored interventions to meet each individual’s situation to keep individuals as healthy, active and independent as possible in the years ahead.

The SIU Center for Family Medicine Clinic Geriatric Program offers a broad range of comprehensive services including but not limed to:
•    Primary care
•    Complex medical management,
•    Annual Medicare Wellness Visits
•    Memory & Cognitive evaluations
•    Walking/gait disorders
•    Imbalance and falls
•    Frailty Assessments
•    Muscular skeletal medicine
•    Poly Pharmacy
•    Wound Care
•    Care of the homebound patient
•    Advance Care Planning
•    Palliative Care
•    Case Management

We are committed to our patients and continue to follow them as they transition through various levels of care. We provide services in the office, patient homes, hospitals, rehabilitation units, assisted living facilities, memory care facilities, long-term care facilities, as well as telehealth visits.

The Gynecology clinic is offered one half day per week, alternating between our Carbondale location and rural West Frankfort location. This is a faculty supervised resident clinic providing comprehensive women's health and gynecologic needs.

These include but are not limited to:

• Well woman care/ pap smears
• Contraceptive management
• Abnormal pap smear consultation
• Dysfunctional uterine bleeding
• Pelvic pain
• Menopause
• ST screening/evaluation
• Sexual health concerns
• Colposcopy/cervical biopsy
• Nexplanon insertion/removal
• IUD insertion/removal
• Endometrial biopsy

Substance use disorders are chronic diseases, like diabetes or high blood pressure. A person with a substance use disorder can regain a healthy and productive life with treatment.

At the SIU Center for Healthy Aging and Wellness, we offer Medication Assisted Recovery (MAR), therapy, and other supportive services, to help patients manage substance use disorders and move forward in their recovery.

The center treats qualified patients with one of the most commonly used opioid use disorder medications, buprenorphine (Suboxone). Buprenorphine helps to normalize brain chemistry, block the euphoric effects of alcohol and opioids, relieve physiological cravings and normalize body functions. It is safe for long-term use. To learn more visit the MAR page.

Benefits 
MAR helps reduce physical dependency on opioids while decreasing cravings and urges. MAR also lowers the risk of overdose. 

Requirements  
Participation in our MAR program requires patients to adhere to medical visits as well as attend behavioral therapy sessions based at the center. Additional treatment recommendations may be recommended and will be based on each patient’s unique needs.

The Osteopathic Manipulative Therapy (OMT) clinic provides patients of the SIU Center for Family Medicine with a comprehensive, “mind, body, spirit”, approach to medicine, using, primarily, manipulation therapy, to improve the quality of life of patients.

Who May Benefit from OMT (not all inclusive list):

Acute (less than 6 months) of Musculoskeletal pain

• Muscle Strain    
• Ankle Sprain
• Sciatica
• Acute Neck/Mid Back/Low Back Pain
• Rib Pain

Chronic (greater than 6 months) of Musculoskeletal pain)

• Cervical/Neck Pain
• Thoracic/Mid Back Pain
• Lumbar/Low Back Pain
• Sacroiliac dysfunction (SI joint pain)
• Scoliosis
• Shoulder Pain
  • OA/Frozen Shoulder/Rotator Cuff Syndrome

Headache

• Tension Headache
• Migraine Headache

We make every effort to provide our patients with the very best surgical experience possible, when the need for in-office procedural surgery presents itself.  We attempt to perform these procedures with minimal, if any pain, and minimal, if any scarring, after surgery... these efforts are conveyed to our Family Medicine Resident Physicians during real time in-office surgical procedures upon our patients, who have been referred to us by the Primary Care Providers at SIU Center for Family Medicine, both at the Carbondale Clinic, and the West Frankfort satellite Clinic.  

Each patient is uniquely assessed by the Primary Care Provider, who then communicates the problem to the Surgical Procedure Clinic, upon referral.  

Upon presentation to the Surgical Procedure Clinic, the patient is given a focus-driven examination, provided with the very best course of action to be taken, and procedural intervention is usually performed at that office visit, unless insurance dictates otherwise, or a referral to a Specialist Surgeon is most prudent at that time. 

Procedures

• Biopsies to detect Skin Cancer Lesions/Diagnose Rashes
  • Punch
  • Shave
  • Elliptical
  • Excisional
• Repair
  • Lacerations
  • Skin Tears
• Surgical Excision
  • Pierced Jewelry
  • Benign Neoplasms
  • Pre-malignant Neoplasms
  • Malignant Neoplasms
  • Foreign Bodies
  • Lipomas
  • Fibromas
  • Cysts
  • Warts
  • Acrochordons
  • Calluses
• Destruction
  • Cryosurgery
  • Electrodessication
• Nail Anomalies
  • Toenail Avulsion
  • Wedge Excision
  • Debridement
  • Onychomycosis Resolution
• Incision & Drainage
  • Abscesses
  • Hematomas

Our Sports Medicine Clinic is offered three days a week and is intended to see athletes of all ages including middle school, high school and college, as well as all active adults.  The clinic is run is conjunction with our Sports Medicine Fellowship program.  The goal of the clinic is to diagnose and treat in a non-operative setting with appropriate referrals to other specialists when needed.  The clinic also offers diagnostic ultrasound with injections along with casting and splinting.

Who is eligible?

• Patients of all ages and activity levels.
• Referrals  from other  primary care clinics as well as our residency program
• Patient who want to explore alternative methods to recovery
• Patients who want to explore nutrition , flexibility, strength training as it pertains to recovery and health
• Concussion Management
• Return to play and return to learn decisions

SLIM clinic is a weight management clinic developed to help patients with obesity or overweight achieve their weight loss goals, improve their overall health, and maintain their weight loss. After the initial evaluation, each patient is a given a comprehensive and individualized weight loss plan which includes nutritional counseling, recommendations for physical activity, behavior modification, and pharmacotherapy. Patients must follow up every month to monitor their progress.

Who is eligible?

• Patients with a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 without comorbid conditions OR
• Patients with a BMI ≥ 27 kg/m2  with comorbidities secondary to obesity