John M. Flack, MD, MPH, is a board-certified internal medicine specialist and an American Society of Hypertension (ASH)-certified Clinical Hypertension specialist. He completed an NIH post-doctoral fellowship in cardiovascular epidemiology at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. He received internal medicine residency training as well as his medical degree from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center where he was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) medical honor society; he also served as chief medical resident at OU. Flack also received a bachelor's degree in

written by Rebecca Budde - Dec. 20, 2016 The holiday season can be a stressful and even sad time for some people, which may be caused by unrealistic expectations. Some people experience the "holiday blues" during this time of year. In addition to some people missing loved ones and dealing with financial stresses, bad weather, shortened daylight hours and lack of sleep can lead to holiday blues. Dr. Kathy Bottum, assistant professor of psychiatry at SIU School of Medicine explains. "The holidays are often very, very difficult for people. Memories of past holidays with loved ones who are gone

written by Rebecca Buddy - Dec. 22, 2016 Did you know that the average weight gain between Thanksgiving and New Year’s is three to five pounds? Don’t let your belly turn into “a bowl full of jelly.” The holiday season may not be the best time to attempt weight loss with holiday parties and plentiful feasts, but it is possible to maintain your weight and not spread your waistline. With some planning, fitting holiday treats into a healthful eating plan is easy. All foods can fit into healthy eating plan if you choose smaller portions of high fat and calorie foods that are popular this time of

infographic by Lauren Murphy - Jan. 3, 2017 A good night’s sleep—every night—can be the key to better health. We talked to Dr. Mayank Sharma to find out how to get the best out of a good night's rest.

written by Rebecca Budde - Feb. 21, 2017 It’s an unfortunate fact that black Americans often have more health-care problems than other ethnic groups. According to the CDC, the life expectancy for the black population is 3.8 years lower than the life expectancy for the white population, which is due to higher death rates from heart disease, cancer, homicide, diabetes and perinatal conditions. In addition, some cancers are more prevalent in the African-American population and are generally discovered at more advanced stages. "Certain cancers either tend to affect minorities more often or tend to

written by Gayle Jennings, RD, CDE - Feb. 22, 2017 March not only brings warmer temperatures, the chance to open up the windows and get some fresh air, it’s also National Nutrition Month (R), a time to focus on eating healthy and being healthy. If you’re like most Americans, you do a lot of eating on the run. People are looking for fast, easy and good-tasting foods that fit into a hectic lifestyle. No matter what you are rushing to, here is a top 10 list of tips to eat healthier when you are eating out: Plan ahead. When you’re about to eat out, consider what meal options are available. Look

The SIU Center for Maternal-Fetal Medicine is dedicated to providing the highest quality of care to women in central Illinois who face complicated or high-risk pregnancies. This type of pregnancy can include diabetes, preeclampsia, pre-term labor, fetal growth problems, suspected fetal anomalies, multifetal gestations, as well as other, less common conditions. The SIU Center for Maternal-Fetal Medicine provides services that span preconceptional risk assessment and counseling, care during pregnancy and postpartum follow up. Using an integrated care approach, the Division provides patients with