Hospitals to work together

By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

After 68 years of competition, St. Luke Hospital in Marion and Hillsboro Community Hospital have forged a “work together instead of compete” alliance.

Soon after Hillsboro resident Mark Rooker became chief executive officer of HCH a year ago, he and St. Luke CEO Jeremy Ensey became acquainted.

The two began exploring how the hospitals could work together for the good of all county residents.

Both hospitals have helped each other with laboratory and radiology services.

“With shortages in COVID supplies, we’ve helped out one another with that,” Rooker said.

HCH has supplied St. Luke with bamlanivimab, an outpatient drug used to treat the virus, when St. Luke didn’t have enough on hand.

“It’s a drug we’ve had some success with,” Rooker said.

“I’ve seen it work, and heard first hand from people,” Ensey said.

Both county hospitals refer patients to visiting specialists available at one hospital but not the other.

Cooperation at the top has led to cooperation among the hospitals’ medical providers as well.

“As much as we can is consolidated,” Rooker said.

Ensey said the two hospitals offer everything patients need “right here at home, from the people and providers they’ve always known.”

Rooker said the new spirit of cooperation between the county’s hospitals was “a natural fit” to best serve county residents.