2025 Dr. Alonzo Kenniebrew Lecture
The Annual Alonzo Homer Kenniebrew, MD Lecture discusses health disparities and other factors that impact population health.
It commemorates the life of a groundbreaking central Illinois physician; Dr. Alonzo H. Kenniewbrew, native of Warrior’s Point, Alabama and physician in Jacksonville, Evanston, and Springfield, Illinois.
Dr. Kenniebrew was the first African-American physician in the United States to build and operate a surgical hospital, the New Home Sanitarium in Jacksonville, Illinois, established in 1909. At its peak, in the 1920s, New Home had 67 rooms, three laboratories, three surgeons and eight associated physicians. It served patients from 20 states and Canada. Dr. Kenniebrew founded the hospital because he could not obtain medical privileges at area hospitals.
The son of a former slave, Kenniebrew was educated at Tuskegee University and was a friend, colleague and personal physician to Booker T. Washington. After relocating to Illinois, he persevered despite repeated road-blocks from the Jim-Crow world of the early 20th century.
The Alonzo Homer Kenniebrew, MD annual lecture sheds light on the history of health disparities, suggesting solutions to the resistant problems that negatively affect the lives of so many in the United States.
HSHS St. John’s Hospital, Memorial Health System and theSIU Foundation are underwriting the cost of the annual presentation.
Other Kenniebrew events:
3rd Annual Kenniebrew-McNeese Health Equity Conference
Friday, February 14 | 8:00 - 4:30 PM
Learn more and register
2025 Kenniebrew Community Forum
Thursday, February 27 | 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM
RSVP to siumed-edi@siumed.edu