Opinion

Included in the training that every psychiatrist receives is the subject of forensic psychiatry, the intersection of psychiatry and criminal law. Some choose to specialize in this area. I am a psychiatrist. Though I did not choose to specialize in forensic psychiatry, I have served as a residency-training director and then department chair, whose responsibility […]

According to a leaked draft of a U.S. Supreme Court decision, the 50-year period of reproductive freedom in the country may be coming to a close. Since 1973, pursuant to Roe v. Wade, a nationwide, constitutional right to abortion services could not be restricted substantially by individual states. If Roe is overturned, as the court […]

Recently, a couple of reporters at The New York Times published an intriguing story about conversations between House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy and other members of his leadership team. It was shortly after the events of Jan. 6 at the Capitol, and they were talking about what to do about then-President Trump. His conduct, McCarthy […]

We’re little over a month from the June 28 primary, and “undecided” was the lead vote-getter last week in a new poll of 1,000 likely GOP primary voters, with 36.9 percent of respondents falling into that camp. For those polled who have picked a candidate, Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin had the lead at 24.1 percent, […]

Several central Illinois Baha’i communities gathered with friends and co-collaborators in Springfield over Mother’s Day weekend to mark the launch of an effort by Baha’is worldwide to engage with others in a spirit of service and unity. The ultimate aim of Baha’is is to foster humanity’s spiritual and material growth and to work with others […]

Maybe it’s the perspective a long life brings, but I find myself eyeing with some skepticism the glut of “personal brands” that assault us every day on television, in print and through social media. Entertainers, celebrities, politicians striving for acclaim, artists and writers who’ve mastered the public-relations game, journalists and media stars who are building […]

Every April, right around Earth Day, we see stories of multinational corporations pouring millions of dollars into new technology to fix climate change. While the climate crisis is certainly an all-hands-on-deck emergency, we should not be narrowly focused on technology as our sole path out of this mess. I understand the fear that only a […]

Yesterday, I was provided the opportunity to testify before the Illinois House of Representatives State Government Administration Committee on the impact of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois’ termination of Springfield Clinic as an in-network provider for thousands of individuals and families throughout central Illinois. These are some of the patient stories I was […]

The writer is divisional senior vice president, health care delivery, for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois. For more than 80 years, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois has worked diligently to ensure that our members have robust access to support their health and wellness. We contract and collaborate with over 100,000 providers […]