Carle and Hoopeston Look at Integrating Service

Carle Foundation Hospital and Hoopeston Regional Hospital are mulling over a plan to improve medical services by expanding their affiliation.

Under the proposal, Hoopeston - in addition to all of its primary-care facilities in Hoopeston, Cissna Park, and Rossville - would become an independent operating unit of Carle. Hospital officials say this effort would pave the way for better patient care between the two medical centers, especially with medical records, labs and imaging.

"We don't think people should be disadvantaged because they live in a small town 50 miles away about the health care that's delivered," Carle CEO James Leonard said. "This type of relationship allows that dream to become a reality."

Hoopeston CEO Harry Brockus said by teaming up with the larger Carle hospital, he believes the partnership will make it easier for his medical center to get loans to buy new equipment, bring on more staff, and start up medical departments.

"One of the things that this integration will bring about for us is to be able to work with Carle to access those markets because they're so much larger than us," Brockus said. "Hoopeston Hospital struggled for several years prior to this and only became financially solvent within the past two years."

Carle providers have teamed with Hoopeston Regional Center since November 2009 in areas including cardiology, psychiatry, and surgery. Carle previously loaned Hoopeston Regional Hospital $4 million to expand its emergency room and surgical area...that project is expected to start in April.

In order for this latest partnership to be finalized, board members from both hospitals and the Illinois Health Facilities and Service Review Board have to approve the agreement. If all approvals are met, then by October 2012, Hoopeston's hospital and clinics would be part of Urbana's Carle system.