By Brad Palmer
Carbondale, IL – Harrisburg Medical Center and Southern Illinois Healthcare have reached a deal on a formal affiliation between the two organizations.
Harrisburg Medical Center CEO Vince Ashley says this is not a merger or acquisition. Under the affiliation, patients of Harrisburg Medical Center will continue to receive care from the providers they know at the hospital. Harrisburg Medical Center will remain a separate entity with its own board of directors, identity and foundation.
But Ashley says the affiliation will enhance services for Saline County residents by linking healthcare providers throughout the region. For example, the affiliation will offer an expanded pool of specialists for patients with complex medical needs who require advanced care or specialty services currently unavailable in Saline County.
Southern Illinois Healthcare includes Memorial Hospital of Carbondale, Herrin Hospital, St. Joseph Memorial Hospital in Murphysboro and the SIH Cancer Institute.
