Rural Hospitals Sign Agreement Forming Alliance

Carlinville Area Hospital, Hillsboro Area Hospital and Pana Community Hospital have entered into a Definitive Agreement forming an alliance of south-central Illinois hospitals. This alliance will establish the framework to allow these Critical Access Hospitals to collaborate on mutually beneficial opportunities in order to maintain professional, community-based, high quality healthcare in their local communities. This alliance is not a formal affiliation, merger or acquisition, and will not change the independent status of each hospital.

While the three hospitals serve distinct, rural, south-central Illinois communities, they share similar missions, goals and challenges, and currently collaborate in a variety of ways. All three hospital leaders along with their Boards of Directors believe that the hospitals can be stronger together through this collaborative alliance.

“We are excited to join with Hillsboro Area Hospital and Pana Community Hospital to discover the opportunities available to us when we work together as a team of three to strengthen each individual organization” stated Richard Schien, Board Chair of Carlinville Area Hospital. Lindsay Wagahoff, Board Chair of Hillsboro Area Hospital adds, “Joining together with the Carlinville and Pana communities to help each local hospital remain independent is a wonderful opportunity we look forward to pursuing”.

Critical Access Hospitals face major regulatory, geographic, social and economic challenges which demand creative, collaborative thinking to ensure rural communities continue to have access to local, high-quality healthcare, including new technology and physician specialists, while at the same time increasing efficiencies and lowering costs. This alliance between Carlinville, Hillsboro and Pana will better position the three hospitals to face current and future challenges and enable them to continue to provide high-quality care locally.

Matt Beavers, Board Chair of Pana Community Hospital, stated “We look forward to working with Carlinville Area Hospital and Hillsboro Area Hospital to develop collaborative initiatives that enable each hospital to better serve their respective communities for many years to come”.