Osf St. Elizabeth Hospital issued the following announcement on June 28.
OSF HealthCare has a longstanding relationship with Streator and its surrounding communities. The Catholic health care Ministry has served residents through its hospital facilities in nearby Ottawa and Pontiac since 1895 and 1907, respectively. In recent years, OSF HealthCare also opened a primary care office in Streator to help improve access in the community.
But the establishment of OSF HealthCare Center for Health – Streator in 2016 helped solidify the organization’s commitment to the city and its residents. The facility soon came to include the state’s first rural freestanding emergency center, attracting national attention for Streator. This milestone positioned Streator as a forward-thinking community, committed to finding groundbreaking solutions to meet the biggest challenges in rural health care.
“We think the freestanding emergency center will serve as an example for health systems all over looking for new ways to improve the health of rural communities,” said Ken Beutke, President of OSF HealthCare Center for Health – Streator. “It’s a new approach that will hopefully result in fewer people needing sick treatment, because we’ve identified and addressed the preventive health needs that keep people healthy.”
For the past two years, collaborators from across OSF HealthCare have partnered with community leaders and organizations on several projects to improve the safety and quality of care for residents. An equally important focus has been to bolster communication and connectivity in the community, while identifying available resources and gaps that need to be bridged.
OSF HealthCare has displayed a dedication to thinking outside the box and developing new, innovative tactics to overcome barriers to health and wellness in the Streator community. The recent launch of a new community collaborative called Live Well Streator serves as a perfect example.
A group of community members with diverse backgrounds and interests has joined Live Well Streator with the hope of making Streator a place where generations of people can enjoy longer, healthier and happier lives. Several OSF HealthCare administrators are also involved in the group. A primary focus of Live Well Streator is to build awareness about community resources and create new partnerships to support healthy living.
“I don’t know if there is a better way to protect the health of a community than to enlist the community members themselves and get them engaged with the task,” said Beutke.
OSF HealthCare is working to provide residents with better access to services that help reduce depression, anxiety and stress through our launch of TeleBehavioral Health, which connects patients in Streator with specialists at other locations using videoconferencing technology. Additional projects underway include a collaboration with the Streator Family YMCA, discussions about mobile integrated health solutions and formal partnerships with community-based organizations.
To help bridge the information gap between local social service organizations and health care providers, OSF HealthCare has implemented software developed by Pieces Technologies. Ten community-based organizations will be using the communication tool to connect with OSF HealthCare for improved patient well-being and insights into their health care needs.
The dedication of OSF HealthCare to collaboration is matched by the investment in infrastructure and technology the health system is making in the community.
Discussions with community leaders about what a successful, innovative rural health care delivery model might look like led to a redesign of OSF HealthCare Center for Health – Streator. Construction is now underway to transform the space into a hub that focuses more on health and wellness rather than being a facility that cares only for the sick.
OSF HealthCare is working to create a “healthy village” in which several social service organizations will have the opportunity to operate within Center for Health upon completion of the renovation in 2019. The increased convenience and access to health and wellness services beyond the traditional medical setting stands to benefit the community as a whole.
The Mission of OSF HealthCare is to serve with the greatest care and love, and partnering with Streator residents to respond to the unique needs of their community is a great joy and privilege. With confidence toward a bright future, OSF HealthCare congratulates Streator on 150 years of tradition and values.
Original source can be found here.
Source: Osf St. Elizabeth Hospital
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