Lt. Governor Visits WCH
Dr. Ginger Fewell, John Felchlia, EMS, Nancy Newby, CEO, Elaine Matzenbacher, CFO, Victor Lopez, WCH Board Chair, Lt. Governor Evelyn Sanguinetti, Dave Davenport, HR, and Candice Hawley, CNE
On Tuesday, November 10, the Lt. Governor of Illinois, Evelyn Sanguinetti, visited WCH.
She was recently appointed to oversee “rural access” issues by Governor Rauner and was touring several area counties on a two day visit south of Springfield.
She toured Washington County Hospital and commented on the great use of space, the cleanliness of the facility, and the friendliness of the staff and patients she met.
She was given a brief history of WCH and of our supportive relationship with the community by CEO Nancy Newby.
Victor Lopez, Board Chair, discussed current challenges facing the Board, while Ginger Fewell, M.D. addressed the access issues and lack of mental health resources.
Elaine Matzenbacher and Nancy Newby addressed the financial challenges faced by Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and John Felchlia from EMS addressed the EMS relationship with WCH and the financial challenges they are facing in the State. It was a brief, but effective meeting.
Nancy Newby also gave the Lt. Governor a very large packet of information about our community and the hospital to take with her as reference and encouraged the Lt. Governor to fight to keep the Illinois Critical Access Hospitals open to provide access to quality healthcare for patients in rural communities.
