East St. Louis, Illinois ralliers brave snow, ice and cold temperatures to protest the February 1 end of Level II trauma services at Kenneth Hall Regional Hospital.
Operator Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation cites financial losses and lack of physicians. Those against the decision say decreased emergency treatment capability will cost lives.
East St. Louis Mayor Alvin Parks Jr. (shown at the podium) sent a letter to Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, asking her to intervene to prevent the Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation from closing the trauma center until a decision is made on the SIHF request for a Certificate of Need change at Kenneth Hall. Parks said there are no other Level II trauma services in the area.
“This will require emergencies such as gunshot wounds, automobile accidents and injuries at work to be taken to Missouri or other distant communities that have such services,” Parks wrote. “Our City desperately needs a hospital for its citizens regardless of ‘profit motive’ in that the closure or even reduction of services at KHRH will result in the avoidable loss of hundreds of lives every year.”
The Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board postponed its decision on Kenneth Hall until April 8 in order to have time to review financial information submitted late by SIHF.
Approximately 1,000 citizens attended the meeting in January against the SIHF proposal to move medical services to Touchette Hospital in Centreville.
