Touchette Regional Hospital (TRH) today announced it will be filing an application for Certificate of Exemption (COE) with the Illinois Health Facilities & Services Review Board. Upon approval of the COE, Touchette will transition care of its labor and delivery patients to Memorial Hospital Belleville campus with delivery services to be maintained by SIHF Healthcare providers.
According to Larry McCulley, CEO of TRH and SIHF Healthcare, the local shift in population, decreasing county-wide populations, and lower birth rates have lowered the annual deliveries at TRH to unsustainable rates for this service. “We are working closely with Memorial Hospital Belleville on the transition, as the SIHF Healthcare OB/GYN providers that currently provide the patient care are also on the medical staff at Memorial Hospital Belleville. This will provide a seamless transition” added McCulley. “Our team looks forward to working with Memorial Hospital Belleville to support labor and delivery services for our patients.
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The change in service location will allow TRH the opportunity to focus efforts and resources towards its outpatient specialty and behavioral health services. TRH continues to grow access and service line support for behavioral health and medical services. The Behavioral Health and Wellness Center at Touchette Regional Hospital opened in 2016 as one of only a few behavioral health facilities in the State of Illinois south of Springfield.
Memotial Hospital Belleville delivered 449 babies in 2019, compared to just 37 deliveries at Touchette in 2019. The Family Care Birthing Center at Memorial offers 24/7 neonatology coverage and a variety of childbirth education classes.
The Touchette COE application will be filed before March 1, 2020, with an anticipated discontinuation date before May 1, 2020. Affected staff will be offered other employment opportunities within the TRH and SIHF network.
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