Fayette County Hospital District Selects Sarah Bush to Oversee Operations

(PICTURED LEFT TO RIGHT: FAYETTE COUNTY HOSPITAL C-F-O LIONEL MONTOYA; SARAH BUSH LINCOLN V-P OPERATIONS KIM UPHOFF; SARAH BUSH LINCOLN PRESIDENT AND C-E-O JERRY ESKER; FAYETTE COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT CHAIRPERSON NANCY PRYOR; FAYETTE COUNTY HOSPITAL C-E-O GREG STARNES; AND SARAH BUSH LINCOLN C-F-O DENNIS PLUARD)

Fayette County Hospital District has announced that it selected Sarah Bush Lincoln of Mattoon to oversee its operations.

Sarah Bush Lincoln is purchasing Heartland Health System Inc., the corporation that operates Fayette County Hospital and Fayette County Long Term Care. All employees will retain their jobs, including Greg Starnes, CEO, and Lionel Montoya, CFO. The sale became final on Monday.

Fayette County Hospital District Chairperson Nancy Pryor said, “We talked with several other hospital organizations over the last six months, and unanimously agreed that the future of Fayette County Hospital would be best served by Sarah Bush Lincoln. We are very pleased with the decision.”

Sarah Bush Lincoln President and CEO Jerry Esker said, “We are honored to have been selected by Fayette County Hospital District. This district board has spent many hours on this difficult decision. As a locally owned not-for-profit health system, we fully understand the impact these important decisions can have on the community’s future healthcare and are grateful to have been selected.”

Fayette County Hospital is a critical access hospital licensed for 25 beds, plus an 85-bed longterm care facility. It employees approximately 250 FTEs. Fayette County Hospital District continues to own the building, and Heartland Health System, Inc., now wholly owned by Sarah Bush Lincoln owns the equipment and oversees the full operation of the hospital and long-term care facility.