I endowed the Jim Franklin Todd and Keiko Uehara Todd fund to support the Department of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion because my parents’ stories are powerful reminders to me of what can be achieved when Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are hardwired into institutional culture. My father’s story unfolds through the names of his grandfather, Jefferson Davis Todd, and his father, Franklin Pierce Todd. My father’s family came from the county in Kentucky where Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederacy, was born. His grandfather’s name tells you what side of the Civil War his family

SIU surgeon John Mellinger, MD, FACS, is the 2019 recipient of the SAGES Foundation’s Ponsky Master Educator in Endoscopy Award. The Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) will present Mellinger with the award at the 13 th Annual SAGES Foundation Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, April 3, 2019 during the organizations' meeting in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ponsky Master Educator in Endoscopy Award was established in 2009 by Dr. Jeffrey Ponsky to recognize a distinguished SAGES leader who exemplifies a pioneering leadership spirit and a strong dedication to surgical

SIU surgeon John Mellinger, MD, FACS, is the 2019 recipient of the SAGES Foundation’s Ponsky Master Educator in Endoscopy Award. The Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) will present Mellinger with the award at the 13 th Annual SAGES Foundation Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, April 3, 2019 during the organizations' meeting in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ponsky Master Educator in Endoscopy Award was established in 2009 by Dr. Jeffrey Ponsky to recognize a distinguished SAGES leader who exemplifies a pioneering leadership spirit and a strong dedication to surgical

An experienced medical team on your side can make a difference in your health. That’s why a multi-faceted approach is the foundation of what we do at SIU Medicine. SIU Medicine is the clinical practice of SIU School of Medicine – which means it’s an academic medicine environment, where education and health care combine. Pioneering research meets compassionate care With academic medicine, your care is tailored to you. It’s shaped by the insights of medical students and teachers whose mission is to improve your health while simultaneously advancing medical research. This balance of empathy and

Doctors from Simmons Cancer Institute at SIU will provide free cancer screenings from 9 a.m. – noon on Saturday, March 9, at Hillsboro Area Hospital, 1200 East Tremont. “Early detection of cancer is so important in treating the disease,” said Aziz Khan, MD, executive director of Simmons Cancer Institute and chief of hematology/oncology at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield. “We are very glad to partner with Hillsboro Area Hospital to offer a second year of free screenings for area residents.” The Montgomery County Cancer Association is sponsoring the free event. Skin cancer screenings, home

Doctors from Simmons Cancer Institute at SIU will provide free cancer screenings from 9 a.m. – noon on Saturday, March 9, at Hillsboro Area Hospital, 1200 East Tremont. “Early detection of cancer is so important in treating the disease,” said Aziz Khan, MD, executive director of Simmons Cancer Institute and chief of hematology/oncology at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield. “We are very glad to partner with Hillsboro Area Hospital to offer a second year of free screenings for area residents.” The Montgomery County Cancer Association is sponsoring the free event. Skin cancer screenings, home

Racial inequalities are pervasive within our systems of education, criminal justice and health care, said Dave McIntosh, PhD, and need to be recognized and addressed for America to achieve its promise. McIntosh delivered “Authentic and Critical Conversations on Race, Health and Patient Care” at the Third Annual Alonzo Homer Kenniebrew, MD, Presentation on Health Inequities and Disparities at the MCLI Tuesday, Feb. 12. McIntosh is the chief inclusion and diversity officer at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. During the program, Dr. Wendi El-Amin, associate dean for equity, diversity and

The Department of Population Science and Policy and its faculty and staff are proud to have received the following awards: National Rural Health Association Outstanding Rural Health Program Award for "Healthy Hillsboro" (2022) American Public Health Association Public Health Education and Promotion Section Health Equity Award (2019) Illinois Rural Health Association Award of Merit (2018) Illinois Education Association Friend of Education - Dr. Vohra (2018) Springfield Business Journal 40 Under 40 - Dr. Vohra (2017) Fellow of Academy of Epidemiology - Wiley Jenkins, PhD (2017) Best Poster

Project Descriptions Kidzeum - The Department was approached by the Kidzeum of Health and Science to serve as evaluators for a STEAM Residency Program. PSP will evaluate the reception of the program through the lens of the students, teachers, and school administrators. They will also look at the impact on the Kidzeum. Little Leaps - Little Leaps is a collaboration between the Department of Population Science and Policy and the Hillsboro Community Child Development Center (HCCDC) to provide bags of age-appropriate low-tech toys and household items to all students at HCCDC based on the