Administrator: Lee County Health Department offers reproductive services not provided by new Catholic hospital

DIXON – As Dixon’s primary health care facility implements new restrictions to reproductive care services and some residents cite concerns about a lack of LGBTQ+ affirming care, the Lee County Health Department wants residents to know it also is a resource for the community, LCHD Administrator Cathy Ferguson says.

KSB Hospital’s partnership with OSF HealthCare, a Catholic organization, was made official May 10 when the two organizations announced in a news release that they’d signed a term sheet and expected a full merger. On Jan. 1, KSB was renamed OSF HealthCare Saint Katharine Medical Center as OSF officially took over operations and KSB became the 17th hospital in the OSF ministry.

As a Catholic healthcare organization, OSF Saint Katharine abides by the directives set forth in the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Service, which guide provider practices based on the teachings of the Catholic church.

Those directives also include several limitations to reproductive care specifically within medical birth control and contraceptive practices, terminating a pregnancy, infertility treatments and alternatives.

[ Dixon’s KSB Hospital merger with Catholic organization sparks reproductive healthcare concerns ]

“Obviously this change in their [KSB’s] scope of services creates a need, and we want to fill that need,” Ferguson said in an interview with Shaw Local News Network.

“We’ve already been getting referrals from OSF physicians who can’t do the prescribing [of contraceptives]. We’ve already been seeing people and have appointments scheduled,” she said.

The Lee County Health Department has offered a wide range of women’s health care, reproductive care and education services since the 1970s regardless of an individual’s ability to pay.

The LCHD receives Title X funding, which is a federal grant program created to provide comprehensive and confidential family planning services and preventive health services to low-income or uninsured individuals.

“Sometimes when people think of the health department, they think it’s just for people who are low income, but we can see anyone,” Ferguson said. “Some people choose to come to us just because they like it here.”

The department is able to bill most insurance and has some patient fees. The cost of services is based on patient income and household size, she said.

Types of services available

At the LCHD, Courtney Teller, physician’s assistant, conducts annual reproductive and well-woman exams, which include pap smears, breast exams and referrals for labs, mammograms and/or colon cancer screening as needed.

They have various types of medical birth control available, including implants like intrauterine devices and Nexplanon, as well as Depo-Provera shots, contraceptive patches, and ring and oral contraceptives, Jenny Conderman, director of community and personal health at LCHD, said in an interview with Shaw Local.

Its office also offers free condoms and emergency contraceptive pills at a discounted price, Conderman said.

The department provides urine pregnancy tests. If positive, they refer the patient to another facility for further testing and offer counseling to discuss the patient’s options moving forward, Teller said.

For those struggling to get pregnant, the department offers basic infertility services like counseling, discussing treatment options and referrals to other health care facilities, she said.

Teller can provide HPV vaccinations as well as testing and treatment for many sexually transmitted infections. The department also offers testing and treatment for urogenital infections, Teller said.

A welcoming environment

At LCHD, “everybody is welcome here, and we try to create a warm environment, you know, through signage and we have some cool photos on the wall that show various individuals. Courtney, our physician assistant, is very comfortable treating anyone, and I believe anybody that walked through our doors would feel comfortable,” Ferguson said.

PFLAG President Sarah Schlegel told Shaw Local that is particularly important for the LGBTQ+ community.

“LGBTQ+ individuals seeking care at a religiously affiliated medical facility may face significant challenges due to the intersection of their healthcare needs and the religious institution’s beliefs. From outright discrimination and denial of services to more subtle forms of bias and a lack of understanding, these barriers can make accessing health care emotionally distressing and difficult,” Schlegel said.

“In our community specifically, the biggest challenge I see is that providers are inexperienced in addressing the needs of the LGBTQ+ population. This hinders communication between providers and patients. Patients may not feel comfortable disclosing their healthcare needs, and may avoid seeking care altogether,” Gabbi McKanna, a PFLAG Sauk Valley board member, said in an interview with Shaw Local.

McKanna said care provided through the lens of the Catholic religion could add an additional layer of discrimination and exacerbate that problem.

In a statement provided by OSF HealthCare Media Coordinator Paul Arco, OSF said, “OSF believes everyone is worthy of respect and Mission-promised care and love. This includes members of the LGBTQ+ community. OSF does not provide specialization in gender transition processes, but we provide many forms of health care to members of the LGBTQ+ community, including those who have gone through gender transition processes.”

LGBTQ+ affirming care is intended to ensure that health care providers create a safe, inclusive, and non-discriminatory environment for all LGBTQ+ individuals. This includes using correct names and pronouns, providing mental health or sexual orientation support and addressing unique health disparities like risks for sexually transmitted infections.

In general, care consists of education, counseling and referrals.

For information, visit lchd.com or call 815-284-3371.