Lawmakers push to expedite reopening of Peru hospital

With less than a month before Spring Valley is poised to lose its hospital, lawmakers are working on a plan B: Expediting the reopening of the Peru hospital.

Thursday, state Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) and state Rep. Lance Yednock (D-Ottawa) said in a statement they’re working with Gov. JB Pritzker to expedite OSF HealthCare’s application to acquire some St. Margaret’s Health units, including the former Illinois Valley Community Hospital.

“The [Pritzker] administration has been receptive to this request as they too understand the need to continue to provide great, local and quality healthcare for all Illinois residents,” Rezin said.

As previously reported, St. Margaret’s Health disclosed Wednesday the plan is to close several clinics by June 9, including the Hygienic Institute in La Salle. Tim Muntz, president and CEO, further warned the Spring Valley hospital could close the following Friday, June 16, without emergency state funding.

Rezin and Yednock emphasized they have procured funding to keep St. Margaret’s afloat by getting Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements released early “to help offset their growing financial deficit.”

“I cannot express enough how hard we are working to keep a full-service hospital in the area,” Yednock said.

But faced with the possibility the Spring Valley could close, anyway, the push is on to hasten the reopening of Peru’s hospital – a process previously estimated at 60 to 90 days – and to at least limit the looming period when the Illinois Valley area could go without an emergency room.

OSF released a limited statement acknowledging the sense of urgency.

“OSF HealthCare is moving quickly to purchase select real estate assets,” the hospital said in a Friday news release. “Until the purchases by OSF HealthCare are finalized, St. Margaret’s and OSF HealthCare must continue to operate independently. We will provide more information as it becomes available.”