Southwest Illinois Residency Faculty
Capt. Shalease Adams, D.O.
Obstetrics and gynecology
Capt. Shalease Adams, D.O. earned a bachelor’s degree in clinical laboratory science and a minor in neuroscience from Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. She earned a doctorate in osteopathic medicine from Touro University Nevada in Henderson, Nevada in 2017. In 2020, Adams completed family medicine residency at Mike O’Callaghan Military Medical Center at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada where she was a chief resident. Adams then went to Denver, Colorado where she trained in advanced obstetrics at St. Joseph Hospital and was a junior faculty at Sr. Joanna Bruner Family Medicine Residency program.
Adams has been a core faculty member and FMOB at Scott Air Force Base and Saint Louis University (Southwest Illinois) Family Medicine Residency program since 2021. She is an assistant professor of family medicine at Saint Louis University School of Medicine and the Uniformed Services University School of Medicine. Her academic interests include women and infant health, health care advocacy, laboratory medicine and surgical procedures.
Benjamin Beggs, M.D. (Class of 2020)
Cardiology, community and industrial medicine, medicine/surgical selectives
Benjamin Carl Beggs, M.D., is an attending physician and faculty member at the Saint Louis University (Southwest Illinois) Family Medicine Residency (SLU FMR). Beggs graduated summa cum laude from Southern Illinois University, with a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and a minor in chemistry. He completed medical school at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and completed his residency training at SLU FMR. Beggs hopes to continually learn and grow with patients, find ways to strengthen the patient-physician relationship, and cultivate residency education at SLU FMR. When not at the residency, he enjoys outdoor cooking, hiking, and spending time with friends and family.
Capt. Patrick Bloecher, M.D.
Capt. Patrick Bloecher, M.D., grew up in a rural Wisconsin town of 175 people. In 2010, he earned a B.S. in Environmental Public Health with a Spanish minor from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. He studied in Costa Rica, Spain, and interned at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Bloecher went on to work with the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium and became a commissioned officer in the U.S. Public Health Service. He worked in remote Alaska native villages on air quality, water, and sanitation projects.
He earned an M.D., in 2019 from the University of Washington School of Medicine. As a medical student, he went to rural Peru and northern Uganda, following an interest in global health. He did residency at the Family Medicine Residency of Idaho in Boise followed by a rural family medicine and obstetrics fellowship in Tacoma, Washington.
His interests are rural medicine, global health and obstetrics. Away from work, he enjoys being with his wife and children, deepening his Christian faith, playing guitar and getting outdoors.
Maj. Julie Creech-Organ, D.O.
Sports medicine
Director of osteopathic education
Maj. Julie Creech, D.O., grew up in Centerville, Ohio. She graduated summa cum laude with a degree in athletic training from Wilmington College. She attended medical school at Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine at Athens, where she served as vice president for the Student Government Association.
In 2020, Creech completed her family medicine residency at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, where she served as Chief Resident. After residency, Creech completed her primary care sports medicine fellowship at the National Capital Consortium Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship in Bethesda, Maryland. There, she served as the academic fellow and sports medicine fellow for American University, Montgomery College and Good Counsel High School.
Creech-Organ is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) where she serves as co-chair of the Certification of Added Qualifications (CAQ) Committee, Society of Teachers in Family Medicine and American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (ACOFP).
Mina Cunningham, M.D. (Class of 2021)
Obstetrics and gynecology
Saint Louis University (Southwest Illinois) Family Medicine Residency graduate. Class
of 2021
Mina Cunningham, M.D., is a full-time faculty member at Saint Louis University Southwest Illinois Family Medicine Residency. Their previous careers before medicine include fiber and material artist, printmaker, event planner, emergency room technician, and paramedic. Cunningham graduated from St. George’s University School of Medicine in 2018. She completed a family medicine residency at SLU Southwest Illinois in 2021, where she was also one of their chief residents. She completed her surgical obstetrics fellowship at Beaumont Maternal and Newborn Health Fellowship in 2023.
Their academic interests are women’s health, procedures, migraines, addiction medicine, and diabetic care and technology. She also enjoys gardening, thrifting, refinishing furniture, fashion, hiking, anime, board games, and spending time with her partner and dogs.
Maj. Pamela Hughes, M.D.
Military program director
Pamela Hughes, M.D., is originally from Minnesota. She earned her undergraduate degree in kinesiology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and joined the Air Force through the Health Professions Scholarship Program in 2012. She completed medical school at the Medical College of Wisconsin and residency at Eglin AFB, Florida. Upon completion of residency, she became adjunct faculty at Nellis AFB Family Medicine Residency in Nevada. In 2016, she transitioned to core faculty and also deployed for six months. She has also served as the flight commander and associate program director at Nellis FMR. In 2021, Hughes joined the Saint Louis University (Southwest Illinois) Family Medicine Residency as the military program director.
Capt. Andrew Gaillardetz, M.D. (Class of 2021)
Marjorie Guthrie, M.D. (Class of 2005)
Core month, electives, PGY-1 Support Group
Program director
Saint Louis University (Southwest Illinois) Family Medicine Residency graduate. Class
of 2005.
Marjorie Guthrie, M.D., earned her undergraduate degree in chemistry from Knox College. She completed her medical education at the Rush University Medical College before coming to Southwest Illinois Family Medicine Residency to complete her family medicine residency. After graduation she stayed on as faculty and progressed in leadership to associate program director and then became program director in 2013. As a faculty member, Guthrie’s clinical interests include broad-spectrum family medicine practice, women’s health, obstetrics and mental health. She is passionate about resident wellness and encouraging residents to be the best version of themselves. When not at the residency, Guthrie spends time cheering on her three children, along with her husband, at youth sporting events, hiking, traveling or reading a good book.
Chris Herndon, Pharm.D.
Chris Herndon, Pharm.D., is a professor with the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) School of Pharmacy and associate clinical professor with the Saint Louis University School of Medicine. Currently, Herndon sees chronic pain and opioid use disorder patients within the Saint Louis University (Southwest Illinois) Family Medicine Residency Program. Herndon’s scholarship interest focuses primarily on pain and palliative care education and he is the principal investigator for the National Institutes of Health Center of Excellence in Pain Education at SIUE. Herndon is a past president for the Society of Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacists.
He is the 2006 recipient of the Pain Champion Award from the Alliance of State Pain Initiatives, the 2012 recipient of the Academic Pain Educator of the Year Award from the American Society of Pain Educators, the 2016 Pharmacist of the Year from the Illinois Pharmacist’s Association and the 2018 recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the American Pain Society.
Anne Nash, M.D. (Class of 2006)
Practice management
Associate program director
Saint Louis University (Southwest Illinois) Family Medicine Residency graduate. Class
of 2006.
Anne Nash, M.D., earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Indiana University. She earned her medical degree from Saint Louis University. She completed residency at Saint Louis University (Southwest Illinois) Family Medicine Residency. Nash has been a core faculty member at Scott Air Force Base and Saint Louis University (Southwest Illinois) Family Medicine Residency program since 2007. She is an assistant professor of family medicine at Saint Louis University School of Medicine and the Uniformed Services University School of Medicine. Her academic interests include care of the underserved, women's health and clinical quality and efficiency.
Marla Nelson
Behavioral medicine
Wellness Pod A
Marla Nelson is an outpatient counselor on site at the Saint Louis University (Southwest Illinois) Family Medicine Residency. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership at Greenville University and a Master of Arts in Counseling at Missouri Baptist University. In addition, she obtained a post-graduate certification in family and couples counseling. Nelson currently serves as adjunct behavioral science faculty for the Saint Louis University (Southwest Illinois) Family Medicine Residency program. She is a licensed clinical counselor in the state of Illinois. Nelson enjoys spending time with family and friends, outdoor and water activities, anything to do with horses, reading, writing, watching/critiquing movies and traveling.
Maj. Pablo Rivera Lebron
Maj. Pablo Rivera Lebron is from San Juan, Puerto Rico. He earned his Masters of Social Work from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Rivera Lebron currently serves on the behavioral science faculty, where he is responsible for teaching the behavioral health curriculum for the Saint Louis University (Southwest Illinois) Family Medicine Residency. He also ensures the program's residents and staff have access to positive mental health care and overall wellness.
Capt. Jordan Romick, D.O.
Capt. Jordan Romick, D.O., grew up in Huron, Ohio. He completed his undergraduate degree in biological sciences at Ohio University and then his medical degree at Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine also located in Athens. In 2021, Romick completed his family medicine residency at Travis Air Force Base in California.
After residency, Romick completed his primary care sports medicine fellowship at the National Capital Consortium Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship in Bethesda, Maryland. There, he served as the CAQ/ultrasound fellow and sports medicine fellow for Catholic University of America and Hayfield High School. Romick is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM)
Capt. Thomas Schelby, M.D. (Class of 2020)
Inpatient pediatrics, outpatient pediatrics and pediatric emergency room
Capt. Thomas Schelby, M.D., earned his undergraduate degree in economics from Creighton University. He spent time working on Capitol Hill and in the Middle East with the Red Cross before deciding to go to medical school. He completed his medical education at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine before coming to Southwest Illinois Family Medicine Residency to complete his family medicine residency.
As a resident, he received a research award for work on patient literacy at USAFP, was selected as chief resident, and was honored with the St. Francis award by St. Elizabeth’s hospital as recognition of his outstanding interdisciplinary care. As a faculty member, Schelby’s clinical interests include broad-spectrum family medicine practice, medical acupuncture, point-of-care ultrasound and resident education. When not at the residency, Schelby spends time corralling his two kids, supporting his amazing wife through her surgical residency and reading good science fiction.
Capt. Nelson Shreve, M.D.
Capt. Nelson Shreve, M.D., grew up in south-central Missouri. He completed his undergraduate degree in physics and philosophy at Missouri University of Science and Technology and his medical degree at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. In 2022, he completed his family medicine residency training at Scott Air Force Base. Shreve then went on to complete his primary care sports medicine fellowship at the Travis Air Force Base, primary care sports medicine fellowship at Travis AFB, California.
During the fellowship, he acted as team physician for Solano County Community College and Justin-Sienna High School. Shreve is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM), Wilderness Medicine Society and Uniformed Services Academy of Family Physicians.
Capt. Christopher Weisgarber, D.O.
Procedures and surgery
Capt. Christopher Weisgarber, D.O. earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Capital University in Bexley, Ohio. He earned a doctorate in Osteopathic Medicine from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio in 2018. In 2021, Weisgarber completed family medicine residency at Mike O’Callaghan Military Medical Center at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas where he was a chief resident. Weisgarber has been a core faculty member at Scott Air Force Base and Saint Louis University (Southwest Illinois) Family Medicine Residency program since 2021.
He is an assistant professor of Family Medicine at Saint Louis University School of Medicine and the Uniformed Services University School of Medicine. His academic interests include surgical procedures, alternative medicine and wilderness medicine.