FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

South Central Hospital Alliance Leaders Hold First Kick-off Meeting

May 9, 2022, Carlinville, IL – On April 20, 2022, 130+ hospital leaders from Carlinville Area Hospital & Clinics, Hillsboro Area Hospital, Jersey Community Hospital, and Pana Community Hospital gathered for the first South Central Hospital Alliance meeting. This day-long gathering allowed the SCHA Hospital leaders the opportunity to meet and collaborate among departments. Dr. Herald Lausen, SCHA Chief Medical Officer presented on how each of our independent rural hospitals can collaborate for the health of the communities we serve. During his presentation, organized break-out sessions allowed each department’s leadership to identify ways to overcome barriers that they may face within their departments.

As a result, the hospitals are developing thoughtful, strategic, long-term solutions to protect access to high-quality rural health care. The hospitals are about to look towards increasing specialty service offerings in the future and create new ways to approach community service. The hospitals are also able to strategize navigating national staffing shortages and mutually work towards increasing rural health care professional recruitment efforts.

The Alliance was formed in 2019 and while the four hospitals serve distinct, rural, south-central Illinois communities, they share similar missions, goals, and challenges, and currently collaborate in a variety of ways. All four hospital leaders along with their Boards of Directors believe that the hospitals can be stronger together through this collaborative alliance. This alliance will increase local access and allow our patients to focus on their health.

Posted in News on Apr 20, 2022