Asthma is a condition that makes it difficult to breathe. But asthma doesn’t always cause symptoms. SIU Center for Family Medicine resident physician Dr. Alicia Altheimer shares what families should look for, what to expect at the doctor’s office, how asthma is treated and ways to prevent flare ups. Q: What are the symptoms of asthma? A: Asthma symptoms can include: Trouble breathing, wheezing, or noisy breathing Coughing, often at nighttime or early in the morning, or when you exercise A tight feeling in the chest These symptoms can occur every day or a few times a month. Q: Is there a test

Asthma is a condition that makes it difficult to breathe. But asthma doesn’t always cause symptoms. SIU Center for Family Medicine resident physician Dr. Alicia Altheimer shares what families should look for, what to expect at the doctor’s office, how asthma is treated and ways to prevent flare ups. Q: What are the symptoms of asthma? A: Asthma symptoms can include: Trouble breathing, wheezing, or noisy breathing Coughing, often at nighttime or early in the morning, or when you exercise A tight feeling in the chest These symptoms can occur every day or a few times a month. Q: Is there a test

A new program that encourages collaborations among police officers, community social workers and local officials is showing promise at addressing problems within Springfield’s homeless population. Area officials hope to expand upon this success by broadening the circle of local participants. A free forum will be held 1 - 4 pm on Thursday, May 3, at the Dove Center, HSHS St. John’s Hospital, 800 East Carpenter in Springfield. It is open to health care professionals, government officials and social service providers and will be hosted jointly by SIU School of Medicine, the Springfield Police

A new program that encourages collaborations among police officers, community social workers and local officials is showing promise at addressing problems within Springfield’s homeless population. Area officials hope to expand upon this success by broadening the circle of local participants. A free forum will be held 1 - 4 pm on Thursday, May 3, at the Dove Center, HSHS St. John’s Hospital, 800 East Carpenter in Springfield. It is open to health care professionals, government officials and social service providers and will be hosted jointly by SIU School of Medicine, the Springfield Police

The Southern Illinois University Family and Community Medicine program in Quincy has achieved recognition as a Level 3 Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. This represents Quincy’s third NCQA recognition as a PCMH. Their ongoing efforts are magnified by the achievement of Level 3 status which is the highest PCMH ranking. "We appreciate all of the hard work that is being done in Quincy to provide patient-centered care that is efficient, effective, equitable

The Southern Illinois University Family and Community Medicine program in Quincy has achieved recognition as a Level 3 Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. This represents Quincy’s third NCQA recognition as a PCMH. Their ongoing efforts are magnified by the achievement of Level 3 status which is the highest PCMH ranking. "We appreciate all of the hard work that is being done in Quincy to provide patient-centered care that is efficient, effective, equitable

As the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) appears to be on the rise, researchers like Diana Sarko, PhD, are dedicating their time to finding better therapies. She’s looking at how children with autism can use interactive robots, or social robots, to improve their communication skills and decrease anxiety. Social robots are a special type of robot that combine human-like characteristics with the control, predictability and simplicity of a robot. The controlled robotic interactions often generate less frustration among individuals with ASD. “Individuals with ASD also see the world as

By Steve Sandstrom After nearly 50 years of operation, how successful is the MEDPREP program in its mission to prepare students for medical professions? In 2016, Anneke Metz, PhD, interim director of MEDPREP, undertook a study of MEDPREP alumni to measure the program’s effectiveness. Her comprehensive survey tracked the post-graduate careers of 525 disadvantaged or underrepresented MEDPREP students over 15 years. It was published in the medical education journal Teaching and Learning in Medicine Vol. 29, No 3. in 2017. What she discovered was both encouraging and instructive. More than 250

By Steve Sandstrom After nearly 50 years of operation, how successful is the MEDPREP program in its mission to prepare students for medical professions? In 2016, Anneke Metz, PhD, interim director of MEDPREP, undertook a study of MEDPREP alumni to measure the program’s effectiveness. Her comprehensive survey tracked the post-graduate careers of 525 disadvantaged or underrepresented MEDPREP students over 15 years. It was published in the medical education journal Teaching and Learning in Medicine Vol. 29, No 3. in 2017. What she discovered was both encouraging and instructive. More than 250

A free skin cancer screening for Springfield area residents is scheduled from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, May 17, to raise awareness for and highlight Skin Cancer Awareness Month. The Regional Cancer Partnership of Illinois (RCPIL) is sponsoring the event at Simmons Cancer Institute at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, 315 W. Carpenter St., Springfield. Local dermatologists will perform the skin checks, including moles. Appointments are open to individuals not under the care of a dermatologist. To make an appointment, please call 217-545-7493 from 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. weekdays. Limited