The good fight is over to save East St. Louis’ only hospital, with the focus now shifting to building a new hospital for its citizens.
On Tuesday came approval that gives the Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation the ability to end medical hospital services at Kenneth Hall Regional and integrate them five miles away at Touchette Regional Hospital.
The Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board made its decision at its April 8 meeting in Springfield before several hundred disappointed residents of East St. Louis and surrounding communities who came in busloads.
“I think the board has done as much as it can to protect the citizens of East St. Louis,” said Susana Lopatka, acting chairwoman of the board.
Lopatka said Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation is in compliance, and Touchette can absorb the services of Kenneth Hall.
The lone dissenting vote came from Board Member John Penn, who said he felt SIHF, the hospital and the community should work together for a solution.
After the meeting, East St. Louis Mayor Alvin Parks Jr. said the decision was at least a partial victory in that the board insisted on maintaining comprehensive emergency medical services.
“We are happy with the fact that the board has acknowledged that they needed to beef up their emergency treatment center,” Parks said.
An attorney for SIHF, which owns Kenneth Hall and Touchette, said that designation is already in place at Kenneth Hall.
“They run at comprehensive-emergency level now. Nothing will change,” said Clare Ranalli, legal counsel for SIHF.
Pro Team Management member Alvin Bush said the hospital issue moves to another level now. His group previously made an offer to purchase Kenneth Hall hospital and is now working with the city to build a new one.
“The hospital beds are in jeopardy and that’s what we have to fight for,” said Bush, an Atlanta businessman originally from East St. Louis.
East St. Louisans who have fought for months against the merger worry the decision to seek medical services elsewhere will cost lives.
Gary Noble of East St. Louis said comprehensive emergency services will not suffice in an area that critically needs emergency medical trauma services.
SIHF said the integration of services will be completed in July, when Kenneth Hall and Touchette will operate as one hospital with two campuses. The Kenneth Hall campus will offer inpatient behavioral health services and the ER. Touchette is adding four ICU beds.
“Now what we need is to move forward with us getting a new hospital built – our own hospital,” Parks said.