Former Mayor Bush’s cousin leads effort to buy Kenneth Hall Hospital

By Sandra Jordan Of the St. Louis American
Wednesday, February 27, 2008 6:44 PM CST

As the operators of Kenneth Hall Regional Hospital in East St. Louis continue to remove services and equipment from the facility, a group interested in buying, restoring and operating the hospital has stepped forward.

Pro Team Management is comprised of seven partners, including health industry professionals, a certified public accountant and investors. At least four members have local ties. They were introduced to the public at a meeting last week at East St. Louis City Hall.

“Pro Team Management was formed solely as an entity to purchase and operate Kenneth Hall,” said partner Alvin Bush. He said investors had been looking to develop riverfront property in East St. Louis until the hospital situation caused a change in plans. Read more.

Group interested in buying Kenneth Hall Hospital revealed

Group interested in buying Kenneth Hall Hospital revealed: "BY CAROLYN P. SMITH
News Democrat

EAST ST. LOUIS --
--

At a special City Council meeting Wednesday, Mayor Alvin Parks Jr. introduced Pro Team Management as the group interested in buying Kenneth Hall Regional Hospital from Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation.

The group was identified as at a special city council meeting Wednesday evening.

No details were provided Wednesday about specific details, including the amount of the offer, plans for immediate operation given that equipment already has been removed from the building and the identity of the doctors, nurses and other staff.

Pro Team representatives said they have the experience and money to buy and run the hospital.

Alvin Bush, a member of Pro Team Management, said the group is made up of physicians, investors, and business people. He said the group 'came together to save Kenneth Hall Hospital.'"

East St. Louis hospital to lose more services

The Associated Press

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. --
Owners of East St. Louis' only full-scale hospital plan to move more of its services to a sister hospital five miles away as they await state approval of the merger.

The Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation says it expects to transfer from Kenneth Hall Regional Hospital by March Third its outpatient cardiac testing, mammography services and outpatient physical therapy.

Those services will go to Touchette Regional Hospital in Centreville.

The foundation owns both hospitals and has filed with the state to merge them.

A decision on that is expected in April.

East St. Louis' mayor says the owners of the hospitals are moving too hastily. Alvin Parks says they've all but closed century-old Kenneth Hill Regional without the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board's permission. East St. Louis hospital to lose more services

Kenneth Hall Hospital moves testing services, loses outpatient facilities

BY CAROLYN P. SMITH
News Democrat

EAST ST. LOUIS --
Officials with Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation are planning to consolidate and move several more services from Kenneth Hall Regional Hospital to Touchette Regional Hospital that it said are being duplicated.

A press statement issued through Touchette's marketing department listed the outpatient cardiopulmonary services as including electroencephalogram (brain wave test), electrocardiogram (EKG), pulmonary function test, echocardiogram, and Holter monitoring (heart rhythm monitor).

Foundation spokeswoman Ronda Sauget said these services, which Kenneth Hall provided on a volunteer basis, will move to Touchette in Centreville effective March 3.Kenneth Hall Hospital moves testing services, loses outpatient facilities

The Destruction of East St. Louis—Another Dark Day for Corporate Medicine

Kevin Miller wrote on February 7th on his blog:

East St. Louis, the poor stepchild that lives due East of the famous Arch, has been told by corporate medicine that they will no longer have a trauma center to reach tens of thousands of residents. Kenneth Hall Regional Hospital survived for 118 years under the care and guidance of Catholic nuns until it’s sale a few short years ago.

Please watch the video titled "Kenneth Hall Hospital in East St. Louis.” This closing is a danger to community hospitals everywhere, particularly inner city hospitals that often serve the poorest of the poor. While the East St. Louis community is fighting to save this hospital, they need your help. The East St. Louis residents and their supporters from the neighboring communities are protesting against the threat of Southern Illinois Health Care Foundation (SIHCF), who aim to close the only full service hospital that serves 31,524 people in East St. Louis, and move it to Sauget, Illinois, a village of 274.

This is injustice and it is unacceptable. Please go to http://savekennethhall.com/ — and make your voice heard.KEVIN MILLER'S WORLD

Editor's Note: Thank you so much Kevin Miller!

Rally protests closing of Kenneth Hall trauma center

Rally protests closing of Kenneth Hall trauma center:

* Quick Time movie: Rally to save Kenneth Hall Regional Hospital

BY CAROLYN P. SMITH
News Democrat

EAST ST. LOUIS -- Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation is expected to close the Level II Trauma Center at Kenneth Hall Regional Hospital at the start of the day today.

In an effort to prevent the trauma center from closing, East St. Louis Mayor Alvin Parks Jr. led a protest rally of about 35 who braved the frigid temperatures Thursday and the steadily falling snow.

Parks said no one had given the foundation permission to close the center. But foundation spokeswoman Ronda Sauget provided a letter from the Illinois Department of Public Health that grants permission to close the center." Read more.