Governor Quinn Announces $5.1 Million Investment in Southern Illinois Hospitals

MT. VERNON – Governor Pat Quinn today announced $5.1 million in investments to hospitals across Southern Illinois, part of $24.3 million set aside this fiscal year in the Illinois Jobs Now! capital construction program to address the critical needs of downstate health care institutions. The investments create jobs and include $257,750 to Good Samaritan Regional Health Center in Mt. Vernon for an operating room integration system. Today’s announcement follows Governor Quinn’s recent signing of a law that enacted the largest increase in health insurance coverage in state history, one of the Governor’s 2013 legislative priorities.

“It is crucial that hospitals have the most modern facilities and equipment to serve the health care needs of Illinois residents,” Governor Quinn said. “These investments will create good construction jobs while helping Southern Illinois hospitals provide better service and treatment to their patients.”

Good Samaritan Regional Health Center will use the funds for a robust operating room integration system that streamlines operating room functions. The system provides a simple, single point of control to route all images, video, audio and data that a surgical team needs. It also controls the operating room’s surgical lights, audio, and teleconferencing system.

“Good Samaritan Regional Health Center in Mt. Vernon and St. Mary’s Hospital in Centralia are pleased to be recipients of these grants,” Good Samaritan Regional Health Center President Mike Warren said. “The grants will help enhance patient care and patient safety and will help our hospitals to carry forth their healing missions.”

So far under Governor Quinn’s Illinois Jobs Now! capital construction program, hospitals have received $150 million to address their critical health care needs.

Other Southern Illinois hospitals that will receive investments include:

Bond County
Greenville Regional Hospital, $184,175 to update the wall suction system.

Clay County
Clay County Hospital, Flora, $168,803 to replace the rooftop cooling system.

Clinton County
St. Joseph’s Hospital, Breese, $190,722 for roof repair and equipment upgrades.

Crawford County
Crawford Memorial Hospital, Robinson, $190,500 to renovate and expand the operating rooms.

Effingham County
St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital, Effingham, $235,362 to renovate the pharmacy.

Fayette County
Fayette County Hospital, Vandalia, $178,235 to acquire digital mammography equipment.

Franklin County
Franklin Hospital, Benton, $176,345 to replace the water plumbing system.

Hamilton County
Hamilton Memorial Hospital, McLeansboro, $176,120 for a new fire suppression system and new loading dock.

Hardin County
Hardin County General Hospital, Rosiclare, $177,087 for new lab equipment and to renovate clinical space.

Jackson County
Memorial Hospital of Carbondale, $338,390 for an automated pharmacy dispensing system.
St. Joseph Memorial Hospital, Murphysboro, $179,585 for an automated pharmacy dispensing system.

Lawrence County
Lawrence County Memorial Hospital, Lawrenceville, $179,045 for an electronic medical record system.

Marion County
Salem Township Hospital, $176,142 to renovate clinical space.
St. Mary’s Hospital, Centralia, $295,500 to update radiographic, fluoroscopic, and nuclear medicine equipment

Massac County
Massac Memorial Hospital, Metropolis, $173,780 to renovate the Rural Health Clinic Building.

Perry County
Marshall Browning Hospital, DuQuoin, $172,407 for equipment and HVAC upgrades.
Pinckneyville Community Hospital, $172,520 for roof replacement and a new fuel backup system.

Randolph County
Memorial Hospital, Chester, $173,600 to upgrade the emergency generator backup system.
Sparta Community Hospital, $187,685 to replace radiology and fluoroscopic equipment.

Richland County
Richland Memorial Hospital, Olney, $230,120 for roof and façade repair.

Saline County
Ferrell Hospital, Eldorado, $181,160 for an electronic medical record system.
Harrisburg Medical Center, $223,482 for equipment upgrades.

Wabash County
Wabash General Hospital, Mt. Carmel, $173,487 for new surgical equipment.

Washington County
Washington County Hospital, Nashville, $173,510 to construct a storage building and IT server room.

Wayne County
Fairfield Memorial Hospital, $183,680 for a new generator.

Williamson County
Herrin Hospital, $210,230 for an automated pharmacy dispensing system.

Governor Quinn’s $31 billion Illinois Jobs Now! program is supporting more than 439,000 jobs over six years. Illinois Jobs Now! is the largest capital construction program in Illinois history, and is one of the largest capital construction programs in the nation.