Children's health

    Our approach to pediatric care

    Your newborn doesn’t come with a manual, unfortunately. It’s up to parents to make sure their children are safe, happy and healthy. SIU Medicine can help. With more than 300 health care providers dedicated to healing patients and making communities healthier, we’re well-equipped to care for your children. 

    As an academic medical community, SIU Medicine is home to providers who aren’t just skilled diagnosticians and healers. They’re also training the next generation of specialists while conducting research that has the potential to change children’s lives and restore hope. From caring for the tiniest babies in a state-of-the-art NICU helping children facing food insecurities to treating children with advanced cancers and blood disorders, pediatricians, neonatologists, family medicine doctors, child psychiatrists and pediatric surgeons collaborate to give your tiny human the most compassionate care, the most treatment options and the best outcomes.

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    Pediatric specialty care

    SIU Medicine is home to more than a dozen pediatric subspecialties. When your child is ill, stay close to home and rely on the expertise of our providers.

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    Patient-centered medical home

    PCMH Logo

    The Patient-centered medical home is a model of care that puts patients at the forefront of care. PCMHs build better relationships between people and their clinical care teams. Participation in an NCQA recognition program demonstrates that the practice or clinician values quality health care delivery and the latest clinical protocols to ensure that patients receive the best care at the right time.
     
    Research shows that patient-centered medical homes:

    • Improve quality: Patients get the treatment that they need when they need it.
    • Reduce costs: They prevent expensive and avoidable hospitalizations, emergency room visits, and complications. This is especially true for patients with complex chronic conditions.
    • Improve the patient experience: They provide the personalized, comprehensive coordinated care that patients want.
    • Improve staff satisfaction: PCMHs have systems and structures that help staff work more efficiently.

    Latest news

    Photo of Decatur Plaza West

    SIU Pediatrics in Decatur moves to new location

    SIU Pediatrics in Decatur is moving locations from 441 West Hay to 2 Memorial Drive suite 305, next to Decatur Memorial Hospital, as of May 1, 2023. The location will be temporary until their new
    Photo of a fruit smoothie

    New partnership to combat food insecurities in children

    According to the USDA, 10 percent of U.S. households and 12.5 percent of households with children have limited or uncertain access to nutritionally healthy food. Pediatric cardiologist Enas Shanshen
    Patient Brenna sits with Dr. Colon to talk about 10 years of care.

    ‘Baby Brenna’ is now a growing girl

    Brenna Westlake was born in December 2011 with Harlequin Ichthyosis (HI), a very rare and sometimes fatal skin disease. Babies born with HI lack a protein that moves fats to the skin’s surface layer to create a strong barrier.

    Latest blog articles

    blog-pediatric-oncologist

    5 things a pediatric oncologist wants you to know

    Hearing the word "cancer" is an unnerving experience, especially if it's your child receiving the diagnosis. But as frightening as pediatric cancer can be, there are plenty of reasons to be hopeful
    blog-speech-language-evaluation

    How to know if your child needs a speech-language evaluation

    Every child develops speech and language skills at their own pace. But many parents wonder if their child's development is on track. As a Springfield speech-language pathologist (SLP), I meet many
    blog-orthopedic-surgeon

    4 things to know about orthopedic surgeons

    The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery defines orthopedics as a branch of medicine that focuses on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of injuries and diseases of the body’s musculoskeletal
    blog-veggies

    When kids and veggies don't mix, here's what parents can do

    Getting your child interested in vegetables might feel like an uphill climb sometimes, especially if you have picky eaters at home. To avoid having all your mealtimes feel like Battle of the Broccoli