A message from Kim Uphoff, President & CEO:

 (1/24/25)

At Sarah Bush Lincoln, we’re committed to bringing exceptional care closer to home by expanding our team of skilled medical staff as we enter 2025.

We are thrilled to welcome Amy Leifheit, MD, back to Sarah Bush Lincoln as a pediatric hospitalist, caring for hospitalized babies and children. Dr. Leifheit has deep roots in our community and is excited to return to SBL to provide exceptional care for families in the region. We couldn’t be happier to have her back on our team.

We’re pleased to add three new general surgeons, all trained on robotics. Julie Kim, DO, is a general surgeon who performs gastric bypass, a procedure that provides life-changing weight loss solutions for people struggling with obesity. Nicole Hammond, MD, is a general surgeon who performs general surgery, and specializes in breast surgery to diagnose and treat breast cancer. Surgeon Mark Wolfe, MD, will perform a range of general surgical procedures.

Other providers who have recently joined SBL include Urologist Julia Fiuk, MD, who offers advanced, minimally invasive treatments for kidney stones and prostate conditions; Spine Surgeon Mohammad Malik, MD, who joined Orthopedics & Sports Medicine; Cardiologist Mohammad Al-Akchar, MD, who will care for people in the Heart Center and provide cardiac MRIs; and Charleston-native Radiologist Adam Held, MD, who specializes in musculoskeletal radiology, joined Diagnostic Imaging. Shannon Watley, MD, brings significant experience to our new OB/GYN hospitalist model, which ensures around-the-clock care for expectant mothers and gynecological emergencies. Additionally, Certified Nurse Midwife Cassie Green will provide compassionate, personalized obstetric care at our Women’s Healthcare Clinic.

We are also excited to welcome more specialists. Rheumatologist Nehemiah Tan, MD, sees patients at Family Medical Center in Mattoon. We also welcome Anthony Guarino, MD, who will soon care for people at our Interventional Pain Management Clinic in Effingham. Well-known and trusted community member, Ophthalmologist Ryan Pine, MD, has joined SBL to ensure longtime viability of excellent ophthalmology care in this region. Pulmonologist Maamoun Zane, MD, cares for people in the ICU and in the Pulmonology Clinic, while Pulmonologist Ali Warda, MD, will see patients in the Pulmonology Clinic and specialize in sleep disorders. Our Neurology Clinic is also expanding with the addition of Belen Lawless, MD, and we are pleased that Neurologist Anthony Collins, MD, has joined SBL to care for people in the neurology clinic and perform electromyography (EMG) testing.

Podiatrists will be joining Sarah Bush Lincoln in late-summer. Husband and wife, Charles Kind, DPM, and Lauren Kind, DPM, will further enhance our comprehensive care offerings by specializing in foot and ankle procedures.

To meet the growing need for accessible and personalized care in our community, we are expanding in primary care as well. In early 2025, we are excited to welcome Hannah Burich, APRN, to the Family Medical Center in Mattoon, Courtney Miller, APRN, to the Newton Clinic, Jessica Lee, APRN, to the Martinsville Clinic and Taylor Cook, APRN to the Sullivan Clinic. Last fall, Brooke Lema, DNP, joined SBL Pediatrics in Mattoon, and Aamir Ansari, DO, will join that practice next month. These new team members will allow us to better serve people of all ages with expert, comprehensive care across our service area.

Please join me in welcoming these physicians and advanced practice providers to our area. Brooke Zerrusen, vice president of practice management, and her team have worked diligently to bring this exceptional talent to Sarah Bush Lincoln, further strengthening the care we provide to our community.

Stay safe and warm,
Kim Uphoff
SBL President & CEO