Why a new hospital? Administrators give insight on Memorial’s decision

By DENNIS GRUBAUGH
    The decision to build a second facility was part of a long-term strategic plan for Memorial Hospital.
    The reasons are really two-fold, according to director of Hospital and Community Relations Anne Thomure.
    First was the population growth in the Shiloh/O’Fallon area and communities to the north and east.
    “Our Shiloh location makes it more convenient for patients to receive health-care services. Market assessment studies were done to substantiate this decision,” she said.
    Second, patients expect to be cared for in a private room.
    “When we explored adding a patient tower with private patient rooms in Belleville, it was very costly,” she said. “Our desire to be more accessible to patients in this growth area along with delivering care in private patient suites prompted Memorial to purchase land in this area in 2008.”
    In 2011, the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board unanimously approved Memorial’s application to build Memorial Hospital East. At that time, it was the first new hospital project approved by the state in more than 20 years.
    Memorial Group and BJC HealthCare entered into a strategic affiliation on Jan. 1, 2016. The affiliation establishes a new nonprofit jointly owned parent organization, Memorial Regional Health Services. The organization will oversee both the hospitals in Belleville and Shiloh, as well as outpatient facilities and the community foundation. Mark J. Turner, the president and chief executive officer of Memorial Network, serves as the organization’s president.
    “Patients will gain access to the health services of both Memorial and BJC as we work together to develop a comprehensive regional health-care delivery network. This affiliation combines the best of both systems and provides patients with the highest quality care,” Thomure said.
    Memorial Regional Health Services is a non-profit organization jointly governed by Memorial and BJC.
    “It is the parent organization of our hospitals, medical group and Memorial Foundation. The board of directors includes equal representation from both Memorial and BJC,” she said.