At the request of HSHS Illinois (including HSHS St. John’s Hospital and HSHS Medical Group), Memorial Health System, Springfield Clinic and SIU Medicine, Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach will start accepting donations from the community related to COVID-19 supply shortages on Wednesday, March 25 from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. The donations can include boxed, unused surgical type masks (including N95 masks); clean handmade, sewn masks ; unused, wrapped or boxed gowns and exam gloves; hand sanitizer; bleach wipes and alcohol wipes to help with the national shortage during the COVID-19 outbreak. For

SIU Medicine will start acception COVID-19 donations from the community from 1-4 p.m., Wednesday, March 25. The donations can include clean masks (including N95 masks, handmade, sewn masks, gowns, gloves, hand santitzer, bleach wipes and alcohol wipes to help with the national shortage during the COIVD-19 outbreak. Sewn masks may be used for patients and non-clinical colleagues to help provide a protective barier so that medical grade N-95 masks may be conserved for our clinical providers. For those who wish to make masks, the following criteria must be followed: Supplies and Cutting

COVID-19 Update: March 23, 2020 This is a daily joint communication from the Sangamon County Department of Public Health along with Memorial Health System, HSHS St. John’s Hospital, Springfield Clinic and SIU Medicine updating you on the status of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Sangamon County. This communication will come at approximately 6 p.m. each day as necessary. At the time of this press release, we are announcing one new positive case in Sangamon County. The total number of confirmed cases between our five organizations is five, including one death. Currently, all of the active cases are no

COVID-19 Update: March 22, 2020 This is a daily joint communication from the Sangamon County Department of Public Health along with Memorial Health System, HSHS St. John’s Hospital, Springfield Clinic and SIU Med-icine updating you on the status of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Sangamon County. This commu-nication will come at approximately 6 p.m. each day as necessary. At the time of this press release, the total number of confirmed cases between our five organiza-tions is four, including one death. Currently, all of the active cases are no longer hospitalized. *These numbers indicate current

Graduate students and research staff from the Department of Pharmacology organized Brain Awareness Day at Franklin Middle School on Friday March 6, 2020. During Brain Awareness Day, students and staff delivered a neuroscience presentation to educate Franklin 8 th grade students on basic brain anatomy and physiology. The Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives supports this outreach event by providing interactive hand-outs, booklets and pencils. The Department of Pharmacology provides sheep brains to enhance the hands-on learning experience for the 8 th grade students. Pictured: Madhusoodhanan

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a type of lung disease that results in scarring (fibrosis) of the lungs for an unknown reason. Over time, the scarring gets worse and it becomes harder to take deep breaths. The lungs become unable to take in enough oxygen. Dr. Rajagopal Sreedhar is recruiting participants for a clinical trial to see if pulmonary rehabilitation treatments improve the quality of life for patients with IPF. The study will compare standard of care treatment to exercise and education. The goal is test how well the combination of exercise and medication benefits the patient

Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) are partnering to provide health care for individuals at state correctional facilities. “We are eager to offer a new approach to care for our corrections population,” said Rob Jeffreys, acting director of Corrections. “SIU School of Medicine has a reputation for quality medical care and innovation. This new partnership gives us the opportunity to explore a different health care model, one that’s more patient-centered and outcome-based.” SIU’s Office of Correctional Medicine will initially focus on

Family physicians in several Illinois communities are hosting students from Southern Illinois University School of Medicine throughout February. 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 a clinic 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 2021, then pursue advanced training in a specific area

February 4, 2020 WTAX, Erin Hascup, Ph.D., Director Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders. Ask the Experts with Memorial Health Systems, Topic: Alzheimer's Disease. https://wtax.com/podcasts/ask-the-expert-with-memorial-health-system-2-…

Area cancer survivor models how life after breast cancer can look