Sarah Bush Lincoln Proposes Acquiring Fayette County Hospital

Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center has been operating Fayette County Hospital for two years. Now, Sarah Bush has made a proposal to acquire ownership of the Vandalia hospital. 

Under the proposal, Sarah Bush would put $12 million into a newly-formed trust. The Fayette County District Hospital Board is being asked to place its remaining cash into that same trust. The Hospital Board is then being asked to transfer ownership of the hospital, land, and long term care, to Sarah Bush.

The transaction would have to be approved by the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board. 

The hospital board voted to table the proposal from Sarah Bush Lincoln while an appraisal on the property is obtained. 

If the transaction is approved by the Fayette County Hospital Board and the state agency, the Fayette County Hospital District would be dissolved, eliminating the $550,000 in district taxes paid by Fayette County residents.

Sarah Bush officials say that the money placed in the trust would be used for improvements to the hospital. namely an investment in its information system moving the electronic medical record to the Cerner platform; building infrastructure; constructing a medical office building and replacement clinics off campus; replacing outdated equipment and purchasing new technology; more closely aligning employee salaries and benefits with those of Sarah Bush Lincoln over time; and providing more financial assistance to patients without resources.

The funds placed in trust would allow Sarah Bush Lincoln to invest in the Vandalia hospital beyond the resources of the current hospital district. The purchase would also afford the creation of an Advisory Board in which members would be advisor and advocates for the Vandalia hospital.