The hospital board welcomed two eye care specialists to its practice at its April Board meeting and celebrated the retirement of a long-serving administrator, as the organization reported strong accreditation results and record employee engagement.
Ophthalmologist Dr. Jill Brody and optometrist Dr. Tim Williams joined the practice April 1 after nearly 32 years in private practice together. The McDonough Eye Care Both previously served on faculty at SIU School of Medicine. The addition addresses a critical need: Brody and Williams are stepping back from their independent clinic, and the hospital is positioning itself as their successor to ensure continuity of specialized eye care in the region.
Brody said her scope of practice is broad, encompassing cataract surgery, corneal transplants, eyelid cancers, laser procedures and emergency eye trauma. She also responds to ER calls beyond her scheduled on-call days. 'If I'm in town, I'm available,' she said. Williams said he hopes to expand the optical retail component of the practice now that it has a larger footprint. 'I think a clinic here with a real commercial presence as with the optical business included could really grow and take off,' he said.
On recruiting a successor, Brody said the search could take time. 'I think 90 percent of the new graduates who are coming out don't want to be owning their own practice. They want to be employed,' she said, adding she hopes to find a recruit within three years and would scale back her own hours to allow a new physician to build a patient base.
In other business, the board recognized Rhonda Baker during the public comment portion of the meeting. The CEO praised Baker for her decades of service. 'You have been here through high census, low census, high tide, low tide, disaster drills, committee meetings, travel arrangements, planning ... a couple administrations and a pandemic, to name a few things,' Board member Wanda Foster, former VP -Chief Nursing Officer said. 'Through it all, you have maintained your unassuming demeanor, your gentle kindness that has been a beacon for all of us.'
The organization received its Joint Commission letter of approval Feb. 14, valid for the next three years, with minimal findings. A night-shift traveler nurse who worked at the facility for more than a year will become permanent staff next week. Swing bed census and surgery volumes are trending upward toward a 15 percent surgical growth goal.
Human Resources reported that 409 of 480 invited employees completed the engagement survey, achieving an 85.2 percent participation rate within two weeks—surpassing last year's 83 percent rate, which took three weeks to achieve. Results will be shared with the executive team May 11. A barbecue meal for all shifts is planned for Thursday as a celebration. National Hospital Week activities are scheduled May 11-15.
The hospital announced that Dr. Amy Sands will join the family clinic Aug. 3. The hospital's physician recruiter recently attended a University of Illinois Rural Student Physician Program banquet honoring former MDH student Claire Chen, who is pursuing an ophthalmology residency — a recruitment target given the organization's current eye care needs. A renovated surgery and GI practice suite in HSB 2 is targeted to open May 8 with patient visits beginning May 11. The community pharmacy is averaging 91 prescriptions per day since April and is fully staffed. Plans to provide pharmacy services to a local long-term care facility are being developed over the next 60 days, though a county-owned facility currently contracts with a Carthage-area pharmacy and has not been receptive to switching. A high-sensitivity troponin blood test, used to detect heart muscle damage, is set to go live April 27 — a service few facilities of its size offer. Orthopedic services with Dr. Welshoy launched April 21.
Days cash on hand is approximately 151 days as of the end of March, trending more steadily in recent months. Federal tax credits remain under review. The board voted to accept Finance Committee member Jerry Greuel's resignation and appointed Seth Minter to fill his seat. Greuel will stay on as an active Board member.
Regarding ambulance services, administrators said a one-year contract covering May 1 through April 30, 2027 is in final draft form and expected to be signed that week. A 911 call center lease signed in October remains in place for 10 years, although it is currently on hold; county officials have expressed interest in adding protective language in case of a hospital sale or financial failure, but no cancellation notice
