Patients of SIU HealthCare now have easy, free and secure access to their personal health information online, allowing them to request appointments, refill prescriptions, view lab results and receive updates to changes in their health record. Launched Oct. 1, the password-protected patient portal, available at SIUHealthCare.org , “allows patients to directly communicate with their doctors’ offices, manage their health and their family’s health online and request prescription refills anywhere using a computer, smartphone or tablet,” said Harald Lausen, DO, MA, chief medical officer of SIU

Arts and Culture If you enjoy history, there are many historic sites and museums to visit in Springfield and the surrounding area. One of the most engaging is the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum. Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site, about 20 minutes north of Springfield, is another popular destination. Along with the recreated village from the 1800s, the Theatre in the Park at New Salem hosts a variety of theatrical performances from April to August. The Dana-Thomas House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for Springfield socialite Susan Dana, is an architectural gem worth experiencing

Harald Lausen, DO, MA, the chief medical officer of SIU HealthCare and assistant dean for clinical education at the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, has been appointed chair of the Bureau of Osteopathic Education for the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). The AOA Bureau of Osteopathic Education studies the full continuum of osteopathic medical education and makes recommendations to the AOA board on ways to improve osteopathic medical education and policies that support educational accreditation and certification programs. Lausen, a professor of clinical family & community

Twenty faculty physicians at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine are included in Best Doctors® in America 2015 database. Best Doctors includes more than 45,000 U.S. physicians, chosen by peer review and representing the top five percent of physicians in more than 40 medical specialties. The SIU physicians, all members of SIU HealthCare or SIU Center for Family Medicine, are: Beau J. Batton, MD, associate professor and division chief of pediatric neonatology; Carol Bauer, MD, professor and division chair of otolaryngology; Lucinda S. Buescher, MD, professor, division chief of

On the day of your appointment If you're a new patient at SIU Medicine, please arrive at least 15 minutes before your scheduled time. You will be asked to verify your legal name, address, telephone number, date of birth, social security number, employment and insurance information. For your safety and to optimize your experience, please bring the following to your appointment: Photo ID and insurance card, including the address of your insurance company. Your Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (IDHFS) Card (formerly the Illinois Department of Public Aid, IDPA), if applicable

Accessing your medical records has never been easier with our convenient online platform. Simply submit your request, and with a valid photo ID and mobile phone on hand, you can securely obtain your records from the comfort of your home.

Coordination to improve quality, lower costs Patients with complex brain and spine disorders may benefit from a new, multispecialty clinic at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield. The Neuroscience Institute (NSI) will consolidate SIU’s departments of neurology, neurosurgery and psychiatry into a single-site outpatient clinical care center staffed by more than 50 neuroscience providers. The institute will care for patients with a range of disorders including stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, brain tumors, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease, spine disease

Central Illinois patients with difficult to control high blood pressure may benefit from a new hypertension clinic at SIU Medicine, 751 N. Rutledge, Springfield. Patients who must take multiple medications, find it difficult to control their high blood pressure or are concerned they may have a secondary cause for their hypertension are urged to contact the new clinic, which will take appointments on Wednesday and Thursdays. The clinic will provide comprehensive hypertension services, including 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring studies, non-invasive measures of heart and vascular

SIU Medicine strives to be the leader in quality health care, regardless of the ability to pay. You may qualify for financial assistance, whether or not you are insured. Eligibility is based on household income and family size. To see if you qualify for financial assistance, follow the steps below: Fill out SIU Medicine's application for Financial Support . A Spanish version is also available. Provide documentation showing income and expenses including tax forms, pay statements, and rent or mortgage information Provide evidence you’ve attempted to obtain government assistance The information