SIU received three international Aspire Awards for medical education activities. (#4)
2013 was a great year for SIU School of Medicine. Here’s a list of the Top 10 achievements as we work to fulfill our mission to assist the people of central and southern Illinois in meeting their health-care needs through education, patient care, research and service to the community.
1. Office of Community Health and Service Created A new Office of Community Health and Service, led by Dr. David Steward, organizes and oversees the School’s community service work in Springfield and throughout central and southern Illinois, fulfilling the fourth pillar of the School’s mission statement.
2. SIU Center for Family Medicine Designated a Federally Qualified Health Center More patients are being added to the more than 17,000 patient base established at the Center, 520 N. Fourth St. in Springfield, thanks to this federal grant. The Center, led by Dr. Janet Albers, is now solely a part of SIU School of Medicine and partners with SIU HealthCare for additional physician and management services.
3. National Magazine Ranks SIU 13th in Primary Care Graduates SIU SOM ranked 13 out of 161 institutions nationwide in the graduate-level training of primary care physicians, according to a study published in the September issue of Academic Medicine. The study evaluated outcome measures of social accountability for residency and fellowship training programs. These measures included the percentage of graduates who entered primary care practices and the percentage of graduates who practiced in medically underserved settings.
4. Medical Education Programs Receive 3 International Awards SIU was the only medical school to be recognized in all three areas by the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE). SIU received Aspire Awards for outstanding efforts in 3 areas: student assessment (how well the performance of students is evaluated), student engagement (how involved students are in their own education and the curriculum), and social accountability (how the school exposes its students to the needs of the public and the community).
5. Dr. Jerry Kruse Named to Dual Post at SIU School of Medicine In May, Dr. Kruse was named executive associate dean of the School of Medicine and chief executive officer of SIU HealthCare. He received the unanimous support of the SIU HealthCare Board of Directors, the clinical chairs and hospital partners. Dr. Kruse has been professor and chairman of the Department of Family & Community Medicine from 1997 until March 2013. He is the authority for all clinical and clinically related academic issues and planning.
6. New Neurosurgery Residency Added to SIU School of Medicine A seven-year residency in neurosurgery was established last July. It has received initial accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). The first neurosurgery resident will begin training in July 2014. Neurosurgery is the 17th residency program offered by SIU School of Medicine.
7. New Andrology Fellowship to Provide Advanced Training in Men’s Health A one-year, accredited fellowship in andrology, the study of the modern management of male reproductive and sexual health was established in July. This year’s fellow is Dr. Charles Welliver. This is the 13th Fellowship at SIU School of Medicine.
8. Outreach clinics Established in Decatur (GI), Staunton (Oncology), Taylorville (OB/GYN) These clinics established throughout 2013 are helping SIU patients receive specialized care closer to their homes.
9. Thirteen grants Awarded by the National Institutes of Health These prestigious grants from NIH are even more competitive in the recent economy. SIU researchers received 13 of them throughout the year to research health issues including longevity, aging, hearing, chronic pain, breast cancer and kidney cancer. Principal investigators, some receiving multiple awards, are Dr. Andrzej Bartke, Dr. Michael Brenner, Dr. Greg Brewer, Dr. Don Caspary, Dr. Debbie Mukherjea, Dr. Louis Premkumar. This federally funded-research will make a significant impact on future health advances.
10. Medical Innovators Program Highlights 11 Medical Professionals SIU, along with the Sangamon County Medical Society and The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce, resurrected this program for a third event, held March 7. A selection of innovative medical professionals working in Sangamon County presented their achievements in medical treatments, research and community service. Eight of the 11 medical professionals highlighted were from SIU School of Medicine.
Wishing all our readers a safe and healthy 2014!
-kc