(Shelbyville, IL)—Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) today announced that Shelby Memorial Hospital has become the 15th HSHS hospital affiliate and has been renamed HSHS Good Shepherd Hospital. A Blessing and Dedication of Good Shepherd Hospital was officiated by Most Reverend Thomas John Paprocki, Bishop, Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. Leaders from the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis and HSHS joined with colleagues from Good Shepherd and members of the Shelbyville community in celebrating the affiliation at today’s ceremony.
The intent of the affiliation is to continue to improve the patient experience and health care delivery throughout Shelby County by better aligning resources among the two organizations. HSHS operates several local health systems in the central Illinois region, and the HSHS Medical Group has primary and specialty care offices located at Good Shepherd Hospital.
"For years, Shelby Memorial Hospital and HSHS have worked closely together on such life-saving programs as Stat Heart and Stat Stroke, and telemedicine initiatives that connect our physicians and colleagues with caregivers at other HSHS facilities. HSHS is a natural partner for us and we are excited to be part of their health care family as we look to our future and accept the challenges of what the next hundred years will bring," said Marilyn Sears, former Shelby Memorial Hospital CEO and now Chief Operating Officer of Good Shepherd Hospital.
"Over our 140-year history, HSHS has been successful in delivering high quality, compassionate care in the communities we have been invited to serve. Our goal is to keep health care services local and provide patients with seamless access to specialty care through our highly integrated health care system," said Mary Starmann-Harrison, HSHS president and CEO. "This affiliation fits perfectly with our mission to reveal and embody Christ’s healing love for all people through our high quality Franciscan health care ministry."
Of the 15 hospitals HSHS operates, St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital in Effingham and St. Mary’s Hospital in Decatur are within 35 miles of Shelbyville, and St. John’s Hospital in Springfield is located less than 60 miles away. HSHS Medical Group – an affiliated physician practice with a large network throughout Illinois – has an office located in Shelbyville.
"The new affiliation will allow HSHS and Good Shepherd Hospital to share clinical knowledge and best practices, leverage operational capabilities, and extend physician and colleague expertise in the region to better serve the needs of patients in Shelby County," said E.J. Kuiper, President and CEO, HSHS Central Illinois Division.
"For the past century, our hospital has served the health care needs of Shelby County and its surrounding communities. Our hospital board, which will continue to have local representation, is excited to begin this new partnership with HSHS that will enhance our ability to not only continue providing quality health care, but to expand health care services available locally," said Michael Kiley, Board Chair, HSHS Good Shepherd Hospital.
For more information about HSHS Good Shepherd Hospital, visit hshsgoodshepherd.org.