Springfield Clinic

Dr. John Kwedar, an ophthalmologist with Springfield Clinic since 1992, was honored with the prestigious A. Raymond Eveloff Award for Clinical Excellence during the November Partnership Meeting. Over his 30+ years of practice, Dr. Kwedar has contributed to the Clinic's Quality Management and ASC committees and served on various hospital-based committees. "Being surrounded by excellence is key," Dr. Kwedar says, recognizing the talented colleagues and dedicated staff who have supported his mission to provide exceptional care throughout his career. Colleague and nominator Dr. Kim Krager praised Dr. Kwedar's dedication to superb patient care and his exceptional mentorship to peers within the ophthalmology department. Congratulations, Dr. Kwedar, on this well-deserved recognition! ??

When you know, you know. From our first meeting with the tremendous leaders and clinicians at Springfield Clinic we knew we were going to be doing great things together. So it’s with massive amounts of pride and gratitude we embark on a collective mission to get more care to more people living with dementia and their caregivers through the new CMS GUIDE program and beyond. So tell a friend: Springfield patients can now have access to expert dementia care through the new complete free CMS GUIDE model as well as through several private insurers. Get care now at ripplcare.com. ?? Special thanks to Rebecca Summers, MBA and Andrea Bushnell at Springfield Clinic for being tireless advocates for improving the lives of these deserving seniors and their caregivers. ??

We’re proud of Springfield Clinic’s own Ray Williams for contributing to Health News Illinois' panel discussion about improving patient access and affordability in health care. Thoughtful conversations like these are critical to advancing health care solutions for Illinois communities. The panel included: ? Dr. Michal Dynda, Chief Medical Officer, SIU Center for Family Medicine ? Ray Williams, CEO, Springfield Clinic ? Patrick Besler, Senior Director of Government Relations, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois ? Rep. Norine Hammond, R-Macomb

Quarter 3 brought more reasons to celebrate! Through SC Celebrates, our recognition and reward program, we're honoring employees who have been nominated by their peers for outstanding service and dedication. Help us thank them for all the ways they make a difference every day!

The Springfield Clinic Laboratory has achieved CAP accreditation for our Main Campus lab and COLA accreditation across six satellite labs—demonstrating our commitment to the highest standards of lab quality, patient care and reliability. Huge thanks to our lab team for their incredible work and to all of Springfield Clinic for the support that makes milestones like this possible. Together, we’re ensuring safe, accurate and efficient lab services for central Illinois. For more information, visit: https://www.cola.org/ https://www.cap.org/

October brought all of the fall feels! ??? Check out how our community of caring showed up last month. ?? ??♂? Multiple Springfield Clinic locations celebrated the season by dressing up in creative costumes! ?? Our Taylorville team joined the fun at Taylorville's Chillifest! ? Radiology Nuclear Medicine celebrated Nuclear Medicine Week with team appreciation and activities. ??♂? Elena Winters, Ashlee Wright, and Robin Wells volunteered at the Healthy Kids Running Series in Rochester, IL, cheering on young runners. ?? Our SC employees showed their support at the Springfield Susan G. Komen Walk for breast cancer awareness. ?? Springfield Clinic Pediatrics got into the Halloween spirit by decorating pumpkins with super creative designs! ? Sponsored and celebrated a win at the Central IL Postal Customer Council Golf Outing! ?? Sponsored the Fall Harvest Festival at Lincoln Memorial Garden, where employees enjoyed music, food, kids' activities, and crafts amid the autumn scenery. Sponsorships helped support the Garden’s mission of nature appreciation and education. ?? Sponsored Denim & Diamonds, a Simmons Cancer Institute fundraiser, supporting critical cancer research and compassionate patient programs. ?? From October 14-18, we celebrated Patient Accounting Week, recognizing the hard work of our AR and Billing Relations team, led by Director Jason Byrd. The team manages medical claims, follow-ups, and reconciliations. The Revenue Integrity team, under Bridget Fleck, ensures accurate coding, medical records management, and prior authorizations. Kendra Boll leads Revenue Cycle Excellence, assisting patients with inquiries about charges and statements. ?? Sponsored Carle Health's Greater Peoria Gala, where Dr. Sonia Gajula and Dr. Steven Tsoraides attended. The gala supports Methodist College's mission of strengthening the healthcare workforce and providing scholarships for future healthcare professionals. ?? Sponsored the Diwali Celebration with IAGS, attended by physicians including Dr. Manasi Hulyalkar. The Festival of Lights, symbolizing the victory of light over darkness, featured traditional music, dance performances, and a joyful evening of food and celebration! ? The SC team attended the 1st Annual UIS Cancer Awareness Soccer Game and handed out beanies to support the cause!

Happy Radiologic Technologist Week! ?? Here’s to our incredible radiologic technologists who work tirelessly behind the scenes to provide our patients with the care they need. From capturing detailed images to ensuring safety and comfort, their dedication helps keep diagnoses on point and our patients at ease. Here’s to a job well done—and a week celebrating you! ??

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Springfield Clinic employees are dedicated to showing their support. From wearing pink to participating in community events, our team is united in recognizing the courage and resilience of patients, survivors and loved ones in their journeys against breast cancer. ??

For the third year in a row, Springfield Clinic has been named one of America’s top 100 Most Loved Workplaces! ?? We strive every day to build a workplace where everyone feels valued and empowered to succeed. Thank you to our incredible SC team for making this possible! ?? ??

Wrapping up September with moments that highlight the heart of our community! Springfield Clinic is proud to be part of a community that cares. Take a look at some memorable moments from this month! ?? ? ?? Springfield Clinic Pediatrics and Community Outreach partnered with Springfield School District 186 and the Sangamon County Dept. of Health to provide physicals and immunizations for students as part of the Keep Kids in School initiative. ?? Springfield Clinic’s Community Outreach Clinical Team partnered with Compass for Kids and the Sangamon County Health Department to provide free school physicals, supplies, books, games and entertainment—ensuring kids start the school year strong! ?? Proudly sponsored the Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer's as the Selfie Station Sponsor in Jacksonville, Macomb, Springfield and Peoria (coming 10/5). Our dedicated staff and their families came out to support this inspiring event, part of the nation's largest fundraiser for Alzheimer's care and research. ?? Chad Crane, Director of the Springfield Clinic Cancer Center and ambassador for Men Wear Pink of Greater Illinois, shared insights about their campaign to raise awareness and funds in the fight against breast cancer on CI Living. ? Ashley McGuire, a Patient Access Specialist, represented Springfield Clinic at the Headstart Resource Fair in Pana, IL. ?? Springfield Clinic’s Ashelle Wright, Elena Winters and Sunny Hampsey received Emerging Nurse Leader Awards at the 2024 40 Under Forty Awards, recognizing young nurses making a significant impact on the nursing profession and health care. ?? In honor of IT Professionals Day, the IT engagement committee organized a food drive that collected over 1,000 pounds of food for donation to the Central Illinois Food Bank in Springfield! ?? Surgical Technologists from the ASC OR celebrated National Surgical Technologists Week with handwritten thank-you cards, flowers, meals from leadership and providers and a week-long potluck to show appreciation for their hard work! ?? Attended and sponsored the Illinois Women in Leadership Symposium. IWIL empowers women by promoting professionalism and developing leadership abilities through inclusion, education, mentoring, networking and community involvement. ?? Attended the Annual Elected Officials Reception, which provided unique access to elected officials. This event allowed Chamber members to engage face-to-face with those shaping policies that impact local businesses, economic opportunities and the quality of life in Sangamon County. ?? Partnered with Molina Healthcare to provide flu shots during wellness exams at Molina's Mobile Health Clinic Day outside the Washington Street Mission. They also offered health screenings for seniors at the Oasis Senior Center in Lincoln—marking the first time our Outreach team has extended services beyond Sangamon County to better serve underserved populations.