Working with the community... for a healthier community.

Ouch, That Hurts! The Science of Pain

Information from NIH-National Library of Medicine   Almost all of us have experienced pain of some kind. It’s the most common reason why people seek medical care. But because people feel pain differently, there’s no single treatment that will work for everyone.   Have you ever stepped on a sharp rock, accidentally rubbed your eyes […]

Closer-to-Home Cancer Care

By Alexander Germanis   It has long been said there is no place like home. This sentiment is perhaps never truer than when one is ill and in need of care. Should one be afflicted with any one of the many strains of cancer, being far from home in order to obtain treatment can compound […]

Sports Medicine Partnerships Strengthen Ties to the Community

OSF HealthCare continues to build on the healthcare services offered to the community as the official healthcare provider for Illinois State University and Illinois Wesleyan University athletics programs. “These valuable partnerships with two long-standing universities will strengthen our ties to the Bloomington-Normal community through sports medicine outreach outside our clinics,” said Jennifer Ulrich, interim president […]

Healing & Hope

By Alexander Germanis   If there is one symbol that sums up the entire meaning of the Christmas season, it is that of a baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger in the desert village of Bethlehem. The pure innocence of the Christ Child encapsulates all that is good, peaceful, and hopeful about […]

Relieving the Weight of Time

By Alexander Germanis   Gravity is an inescapable force. It exists everywhere. We feel its pull on a daily basis, and mankind has sought for countless ways to reduce or remove its influence since time immemorial. When gravity is combined with time, however, the results can be crippling. This is particularly evident in the human […]

Homes of Hope

By Alexander Germanis   Whether in a crowded city or the wilderness, should one discover one is lost there are a number of important survival tips to follow. The first and most vital survival tip is not, as many would think, to find water. The first step of survival is to find shelter. Although shelter […]

The Best and Worst Candy for Teeth

Submitted by Emil M. Verban, Jr., DDS   The primary reason for tooth decay is gobbling up too much sugar. Bacteria in the mouth use sugar to grow, multiply, and produce acids. The acids then begin to eat away at the tooth’s enamel (the hard, outer surface) and—voila!—a cavity forms. The Halloween candy-fest is just […]

Helping People Build Healthy, Happy Lives

By Joan Hartman, CEO, Center for Human Services   It is estimated that one in five adults and children live with a mental health issue. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for children aged 10–14 and gun violence has surpassed car accidents as the leading cause of death in children and teens in […]

Is There a Doctor in the House?

By Amy Kennard You’d think having two doctors for parents and growing up in a hospital environment would automatically land you in medical school—and you’re right—kind of. Dr. Beth Nielsen (Beth) is a pulmonary/critical care physician and locum tenens physician. A locum, or locum tenens, is someone who travels to different hospitals to temporarily fill […]

The Essence of Home: The People Who Make the Difference

By Alexander Germanis The most important aspect—the essence—of any experience is found in the interactions and personal lives of the people involved. People are, therefore, the essence of any city, village, or town. People can essentially make or break a senior living community. Evergreen Place Assisted Living and Evergreen Village Supportive Living are nothing without […]