Mission
To develop a program through which we can provide the complete spectrum of otolaryngology care to a person living in rural Illinois, just the same as an individual living in the city of Chicago with access to five major medical centers.
Philosophy
The availability of otolaryngology care in rural Illinois is clearly lacking. We seek to address these glaring inequities by bringing the expertise of a practicing physician at Rush to downstate hospitals and clinics. To further our goals and bring attention to this issue, we are also committed to conducting research that highlights geographic care disparities in ENT.
Objectives and General Description
We have provided services in the region of central Illinois, serving many of the rural counties otherwise lacking otolaryngology care. Patients seen at these rural clinics who present with complex needs have also been referred to Rush University Medical Center for surgical services that are otherwise not available in their communities. The areas of referral include head and neck surgery, rhinology, otology, facial plastics, and laryngology, averaging about 60 surgical cases/referrals a year. As part of the CURE Initiative, our long-term vision centers around having a mid-level provider helping with telemedicine visits and facilitating the referral process for patients from central Illinois and addressing needs related to complex otolaryngology care.
Read news about the Rural-Urban Health Initiative.
Read about studies related to the Rural-Urban Health Initiative that the CURE team has published.
At the moment, we are engaged in conducting a systematic literature review to summarize all cases of medical malpractice in the field of otolaryngology.
We are always looking for new ways to expand our outreach and advance the goals of the Rural-Urban Health Initiative.