The January program of the City Club of Springfield focused on the health professional shortage and its current and future affect on Springfield as a regional medical provider.
The Friday morning program featured Dr. Jerry Kruse, Dean and Provost of Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and CEO of SIU Medicine, with Dr. Stephen Stone, Professor Emeritus Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, serving as the moderator.
The program addressed issues such as the types of medical positions with shortages, factors contributing to the shortages, the impact on our community, and what is being done or could be done to address this issue, both in the short and long term.
Dr. Kruse embraces the rapid changes in technology and communication, in health care delivery, in medical education, and in biomedical research. His focus is to fulfill the Triple Aim + 1: medical education and health care that are more effective, efficient, equitable and enjoyable for all. Another goal is to improve health for not just for individuals, but for populations, particularly for the 66 counties in Illinois that is the service area of SIU School of Medicine.