COVID, Medical Expansion Objections Discussed at Noon Rotary

(FROM LEFT, HSHS ST. ANTHONY'S MEMORIAL HOSPITAL CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER DR. RYAN JENNINGS, HSHS ST. ANTHONY'S MEMORIAL HOSPITAL PRESIDENT AND CEO THERESA RUTHERFORD, AND ROTARY WEEKLY PROGRAM CHAIRMAN JOHN KINGERY)

The growth in COVID-19 cases in the area and objections to the proposed Sarah Bush Lincoln construction project in Effingham were topics addressed by HSHS St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital officials before the Effingham Noon Rotary Club on August 26.

Dr. Ryan Jennings, Chief Medical Officer at HSHS St. Anthony's, discussed the growth of COVID-19 cases. Jennings noted that we are not seeing seasonality with Coronavirus and that the number of cases are still growing almost six months after the first cases were identified. Jennings siad another consideration is that Coronavirus is more contagious than the flu.

Jennings also noted that when H1N1 hit in 2016 and 2017, 61,000 deaths resulted in the US. He said the COVID-19 death toll is approaching 180,000. 

As to what do we do about it, Jennings said masking does help reduce the spread, and washing hands and social distancing make a difference.

HSHS St. Anthony's President and CEO Theresa Rutherford discussed HSHS' objection to the proposed Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center's planned construction of a new Bonutti Clinic in Effingham. Rutherford said HSHS does not object to a new building for Sarah Bush, but they do have questions as to the size of the project and what they see as a redundancy in services already available in Effingham.

Rutherford said St. Anthony's suffered significant losses in the economic downturn due to the pandemic and pointed out that the hospital provides round the clock services such as the emergency department that otherwise aren't available in Effingham.

A hearing on the proposed project has been scheduled for Wednesday, September 2, from noon to 2pm at the Thelma Keller Convention Center. The hearing will be held by the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board, with a decision on Sarah Bush Lincoln's Certificate of Need request expected on September 22 at another hearing in northern Illinois.

John Kingery served as Rotary weekly program chairman.

(NOON CLUB PRESIDENT KORY DOTY AND NEW MEMBER LUKE NIEBRUGGE)

Noon Rotary also welcomed a new member. Local businessman Luke Niebrugge was sworn in to membership by Noon Club President Kory Doty.