Have you ever wanted to try acupuncture? SIU Center for Family Medicine, 520 N. 4th St. in Springfield, is now offering an auricular (ear) acupuncture clinic as of August 2019 on Thursdays from 2-4 p.m. Appointments take 15-20 min and are only $5. Walk-ins are welcome, and you don't need to be established as an SIU Medicine patient. "The ear is a microcosm for the rest of the body," said Leslie Smith, MD, LAc, director of integrative medicine at SIU Medicine. "In fact, acupuncture is the reason we pierce our ears where we do. For the auricular clinic, I use tiny needles in special places in

SPRINGFIELD, IL – Children entering pre-k, kindergarten, 6 th or 9 th grade, or who are new to Springfield Public School District 186, are required to have school physicals and immunizations. Meningococcal vaccines are also required for all students entering 12 th grade. Parents are encouraged to schedule appointments with their children’s primary care doctor or physician. Families who do not have a primary care doctor or who have difficulty accessing medical care may benefit from free clinics held in August. “Having a primary care physician and a medical home is crucial for prevention and

SPRINGFIELD, IL – Children entering pre-k, kindergarten, 6 th or 9 th grade, or who are new to Springfield Public School District 186, are required to have school physicals and immunizations. Meningococcal vaccines are also required for all students entering 12 th grade. Parents are encouraged to schedule appointments with their children’s primary care doctor or physician. Families who do not have a primary care doctor or who have difficulty accessing medical care may benefit from free clinics held in August. “Having a primary care physician and a medical home is crucial for prevention and

SPRINGFIELD, IL – Children entering pre-k, kindergarten, 6 th or 9 th grade, or who are new to Springfield Public School District 186, are required to have school physicals and immunizations. Meningococcal vaccines are also required for all students entering 12 th grade. Parents are encouraged to schedule appointments with their children’s primary care doctor or physician. Families who do not have a primary care doctor or who have difficulty accessing medical care may benefit from free clinics held in August. “Having a primary care physician and a medical home is crucial for prevention and

Minimally invasive procedure could lower blood pressure, reduce need for medication

Each October, Simmons Cancer Institute (SCI) at SIU, features a presentation called “Faces of Hope" at the Annual Denim & Diamonds Gala, the institute's primary fundraising event. Photos of approximately 30 cancer survivors flash across the screen to music to raise funds for cancer research, patient programs, and the growing needs of our patient population. We celebrate every survivor is celebrated regardless of where treatment was received. If you are a cancer survivor who has not participated in Faces of Hope previously or know a survivor who would be willing to submit a photo for Faces of

Warm weather, barbeques and celebrating our independence is all a part of summer. One of the best parts of the 4 th of July is watching the sky light up with a beautiful array of colors, sparkles and shapes. Even though the firework displays are stunning, they can be very dangerous if proper precautions are not taken. "Fireworks are dangerous,” warns Dr. Jason Kegg, emergency medicine physician at SIU School of Medicine. While burns can be serious, they’re not the only reason to fear fireworks. “We see blast injuries in children as well as adults, and sometimes, it ends up with the loss of

District 186 parents, remember to schedule your kids' back-to-school physicals!

The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc., better known as the Triological Society, has named SIU Medicine surgeon Sandra Ettema, MD, PhD, CCC/SLP, a fellow of its 124-year-old organization. Ettema is the co-chair and an assistant professor of the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery at SIU Medicine in Springfield, Illinois. Ettema specializes in treating disorders of the larynx and voice. As the director of the Voice, Airway and Swallowing Clinic at SIU Medicine, she enjoys treating children with difficulty swallowing as well as head and neck cancer

Internationally renowned hypertension expert John M. Flack, MD, MPH, was named the inaugural holder of the Sergio Rabinovich, MD, Endowed Chair of Internal Medicine at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in an investiture ceremony on Monday, June 3. An endowed chair represents one of the highest achievements in academic medicine, both for the person for whom the chair is named and also for the person who holds the chair. Flack, who joined SIU Medicine in 2015, is an internist who specializes in treating resistant hypertension in minority populations. He is an American Society of