SIU Cancer Institute
An estimated 60,000 Illinoisans were diagnosed with cancer last year. Patients in rural and underserved areas receive fewer cancer prevention services and are diagnosed at more advanced stages. The SIU Cancer Institute is a vital lifeline for these residents.

Working in cooperation with both Springfield hospitals, the Institute’s vision is to enhance regional cancer care services by recruiting highly specialized physicians and initiating state-of-the-art models for clinical care. The Institute will take a multidisciplinary approach that allows patients immediate access to a broad spectrum of services, including oncologists, surgeons, radiologists, nurses, nutritional counselors, physical therapists, social workers, and mental health experts. Research laboratories will offer scientists cutting edge tools and techniques to help in the fight against this fatal disease.

Children’s Hospital at St. John’s
Our newest opportunity for excellence is our vision of a comprehensive pediatric program for children and their families. The SIU School of Medicine has forged an innovative partnership with St. John’s Hospital to establish a “hospital within a hospital.” Weaving together the faculty resources of the School of Medicine with the pediatric facilities and services of St. John’s Hospital will facilitate quality patient services, expansion of specialty services, outreach education, and cutting-edge research.

These are just two exciting new opportunities for excellence at the SIU School of Medicine. We offer hundreds of programs, each aiming to improve the quality of life for the people of central and southern Illinois. Partnerships and endowment growth are essential to the continuation of our drive toward excellence.

Campaign Objectives
Innovative programs require private support. The SIU Cancer Institute and Children’s Hospital at St. John’s are important endeavors to help ensure access to sophisticated healthcare services in downstate Illinois. As part of the Opportunity Through Excellence Campaign for Southern, an unprecedented $100 million effort through the SIU Foundation, the School of Medicine seeks to raise $l3 million for patient care and research programs and for endowed chairs and professorships that complement these efforts.

Endowed Chairs and Professorships
$6 million

Endowed chairs and professorships will allow the School of Medicine to attract, recruit, and retain talented faculty who ultimately will contribute to outstanding healthcare for patients in our region, provide superior training for future physicians, and conduct high-level research for the benefit of potentially millions of people. Endowed chairs and professorships strengthen financial resources for research projects, professional development, and salary supplements; they will encourage more nationally and internationally recognized physicians to maximize their potential at the School of Medicine. Special emphasis is being placed on funding positions focused on cancer and pediatrics.

Academic Excellence
$7 million

Innovative research and clinical programs are the backbone of medical school activity. At the SIU School of Medicine, our commitment to expanding research and patient care services is guided by regional needs. Initiatives such as the SIU Cancer Institute and the Children’s Hospital at St. John’s Hospital represent important opportunities for investing in the future.

The School of Medicine offers many programs in research and clinical care, each aimed at improving the quality of life throughout the region. Partnerships and endowment growth are essential for continuing our commitment to excellence in education, patient care, and research.