News From SIH

SIH continues to see dozens of mask donations daily in response to the personal protective equipment shortage. Denise Glennon's mother is a former nurse who taught her how to sow; she understands the need for masks when a loved one is sick.

On Friday, Southern Illinois Healthcare unveiled new remote health care options for people living in southern Illinois. Using remote communication platfor Webex, Dr. Matthew Winkleman of Harrisburg discussed ways patients at SIH Primary Care Harrisburg may communicate with health care providers through video visits.

We understand there’s a lot of anxiety around what to do if you suspect you or a loved one has been exposed to COVID-19 and might be sick.

Here’s what we recommend to help get the guidance you need and prevent spread in your home and community:

SIH Memorial Hospital of Carbondale is caring for a patient with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus). The test was sent to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) lab in Carbondale for testing and SIH subsequently learned the test results were positive. SIH is collaborating with Jackson County Health Department.

Governor J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced the first two COVID-19 test results in our region involving a patient in Williamson County and Jackson County. Both patients were screened through the SIH COVID-19 hotline and SIH drive-through testing sites.

SIH’s team of infectious disease and infection prevention specialists and emergency preparedness personnel continue to collaborate with local, state and federal officials regarding COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) prevention and response. While COVID-19 is new, preparing for responses to potential epidemics and pandemics (e.g., H1N1, Swine Flu, MERS, SARS, Ebola) isn’t. In Southern Illinois, a dedicated, multidisciplinary group of professionals and community partners are in regular communication on how to provide safe, effective care for our regional community.

MURPHYSBORO (WSIL) -- Southern Illinois Healthcare (SIH) has a new facility for patients with congestive heart failure. The new clinic opened Wednesday at St. Joseph Memorial Hospital in Murphysboro. Dr. Muhammad Khan, a cardiologist from Prairie Cardiovascular, says the idea for a second location has been in the works for about a year.

Dr. Muhammad Khan, cardiologist with SIH Prairie Heart Institute, and Terry Burns of Marion, a heart failure patient and heart transplant recipient, spoke Wednesday at SIH St. Joseph Memorial Hospital as part of grand opening festivities for a new outpatient heart failure clinic at the hospital in Murphysboro. It is the second such clinic in the SIH family.

MURPHYSBORO, IL — A new outpatient heart failure clinic in southern Illinois will allow folks in the community to receive care closer to home and reduce hospital stays. Heart failure impacts more than 6 million people. One of them is Terry Burns. In 2008, a virus attacked Burns' heart, which led to heart failure and eventually a heart transplant.

CARBONDALE (WSIL) -- Memorial Hospital of Carbondale will become the first hospital in southern Illinois to be designated as a trauma center. In a release, SIH announced the hospital's Level II trauma center designation will go live at 7 a.m. Monday, November 4, a result that stems from five years of hard work and meticulous planning behind the scenes.