SIU Medicine

09/06/2025

Tummy time isn’t just for babies. Grown-ups, it’s your turn!

Too much screen time = sore necks and tight backs. A few minutes of tummy time each day can help stretch your spine, ease neck strain and build posture strength.

Tip from Dr. Amanda Krus-Johnston at SIU Center for Family Medicine:
- Prop yourself up on your elbows—this gently works the back and shoulders that get weak from sitting too much.
- Breathe deeply, relax into the stretch and follow it up with cat pose to activate those core muscles.
- Try it for 2–3 minutes while scrolling or reading—your neck will thank you!

Read more about ways to help ease the symptoms of tech neck: https://loom.ly/EEWqDmA

If your neck feels stiff and your back is tight by the end of the day, you're not alone. Long hours at a desk or excessive scrolling can leave your muscles tense and your posture slouched. The good news? You don’t need a full workout or yoga session to feel better. Just a few simple stretches, don...

09/05/2025

How’s the school year going so far? 📚🏈⚽
Don’t let the busy season make you miss an important step — school and sports physicals!

✅ Deadline to submit: October 15
✅ Call 217.545.8000 to schedule an appointment with a provider

09/04/2025

The best gift a dad can give? Not just provision—but presence.

Being emotionally present with your child builds their confidence, shapes their identity and strengthens your sense of purpose, too.

New on the blog: 5 simple ways dads can deepen emotional connection with their kids—starting with just 10 minutes a day. Read now: https://loom.ly/OB8Jsfw

09/03/2025

Struggling with chronic sinus problems? Relief may be closer than you think.

Dr. Kody Bolk, a fellowship-trained rhinologist and endoscopic skull base surgeon at SIU Medicine, specializes in treating chronic sinusitis, nasal obstruction, allergies and complex conditions such as tumors near and around the eyes, brain and pituitary gland—as well as brain fluid leaks. Dr. Bolk sees patients in both Springfield and Decatur.

If you’re dealing with long-term sinus issues or trouble breathing through your nose, call today and take the first step toward relief.

09/03/2025

👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️ Medicine is about more than diagnoses and prescriptions—it’s about understanding the whole patient. At SIU School of Medicine, students and residents took part in a poverty simulation to see firsthand the barriers many patients face outside the exam room. Exercises like these build empathy and remind future physicians that health care is just one piece of a person’s larger story.

🔗 Read more about the experience here: https://loom.ly/K56vp9U

Southern Illinois University resident physicians and medical students experienced some of the nonclinical challenges associated with being a patient in poverty for a few hours. Roughly 14,000 people live below the federal poverty line in Springfield, according to the most recent census data.

09/02/2025

Struggling with addiction?

Dr. Jeffery Parrilla-Carrero is studying the brain “switches” that influence why some people are more vulnerable to addiction than others. His research is paving the way for treatments that restore healthy brain function. Learn more - https://loom.ly/XtCSp2M

If you or someone you love is struggling, call SIU’s Support Team for Addiction Recovery Treatment (START) at 📞 (217)-545-4781.

08/31/2025

Meet Dr. Brette Harding, fellowship-trained head and neck cancer and reconstructive surgeon and dedicated member of our Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery team.

Dr. Harding brings advanced training in the diagnosis and treatment of head and neck cancers, including tumors of the mouth, throat, voice box, salivary glands, thyroid and skin. Her expertise ensures patients across central and southern Illinois have access to specialized surgical care.

Through every consultation and procedure, Dr. Harding delivers compassionate, expert care backed by academic excellence. We’re proud to have her on the team at SIU Medicine.

08/30/2025

🤧 If you’ve ever chased a tiny human around with a tissue while they sniff it right back in — this one's for you.

Teaching your toddler to blow their nose isn’t exactly glamorous, but it is a game-changer. It helps them breathe easier, avoid ear infections and gives your laundry (and their sleeves) a much-needed break.

From pretending to be elephants to fogging up mirrors and racing feathers with their breath, we’ve got fun, simple tips to make nose-blowing a breeze — or at least less of a battle.

Read the full blog: "Goodbye sniffles, hello tissues: Teaching toddlers to blow their nose" https://loom.ly/GY85p3w

If you have a toddler, you probably know this scene all too well: Your child’s nose is running like a faucet, and every time you reach for a tissue, they turn their head, swipe at their face with their sleeve or worse – just sniff the mess right back in. It’s not a skill that comes naturally, ...

08/29/2025

Long weekend, here we come!

Don’t let sniffles, aches or allergies slow you down. SIU Medicine Express Care has you covered: We are open every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. so you can get in, get treated and get right back to the holiday fun.
📍 3220 Atlanta Street
💪 Keep your weekend plans on track!

08/29/2025

This year, the SIU Surgical Skills Lab celebrates its 25th anniversary.

Established in May 2000, the Center has been a cornerstone of surgical education, giving residents and fellows the opportunity to learn, practice and refine life-saving skills in a safe and innovative environment. In August 2015, the lab moved into a new state-of-the-art space at the Edgar J. Curtis Memorial Learning Center and was dedicated as the J. Roland Folse, MD, Surgical Skills Center. Dr. Folse was the first chair of SIU School of Medicine's Department of Surgery. The Center honors his legacy of excellence in education, innovation and patient care. We are grateful for the continued support of Springfield Memorial Hospital, a vital partner in making this vision a reality.

Here’s to 25 years of advancing surgical training — and to the next generation of physicians who will shape the future of medicine.🩺✨

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08/28/2025

University of Illinois Springfield and SIU School of Medicine are partnering to present "COVID Stories," a reader’s theater using real interviews about local Illinois residents’ pandemic experiences.

COVID Stories will be performed at the school of medicine at 7 p.m. on Friday, September 26, and at UIS at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, October 9. Auditions are open now to add some drama to the trauma.

Readers will be chosen from our central Illinois communities. No experience is necessary. Anyone interested in being a reader/orator may attend an audition on September 2 or 3 at 7 p.m. in VPA 170 on the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) campus. Priority casting will be given to students, staff, faculty or alumni of either UIS or the school of medicine.

Rehearsal requirements and sign-up information for COVID Stories at: https://loom.ly/DIpNIH0
For more details about the COVID Stories project and its related events, visit https://loom.ly/lOQARYc.

08/27/2025

SIU Clinics will be closed on Monday, September 1st in observance of Labor Day. We will reopen with normal hours on Tuesday. Have a safe and enjoyable holiday!