Jefferson County, IL - 2003 Community Profile

Hospitals

St. Mary’s Good Samaritan

St. Mary’s Good Samaritan is a unique healthcare organization, serving nearly 300,000 people in an 11-county region. It is one of the largest healthcare organizations in southern Illinois, consisting of two regional hospitals — one located right here in Mt. Vernon — over 120 physicians, seven Family Health Centers and numerous specialty programs. St. Mary’s Good Samaritan is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and has been recognized by the Lincoln Foundation for Business Excellence.

Through the organization’s growing resources, the people of southern Illinois have access to state-of-the-art health care and specialty services without having to travel far from home. St. Mary’s Good Samaritan is an area leader in cardiology. Working in collaboration with experienced cardiac specialists, the Heart Center offers open-heart surgery, angioplasty, diagnostic catheterizations and cardiac rehabilitation.

St. Mary’s Good Samaritan also partners with physician-specialists to provide the state-of-the-art Orthopaedic Center in Mt. Vernon. Local orthopaedic surgeons are board-certified and fellowship-trained, offering spine surgery, hand surgery, sports medicine, joint replacement and a full range of general orthopaedics.

The organization’s cancer program, which is recognized by the American College of Surgeons, includes patient-focused treatment facilities equipped with the most advanced radiation technology. St. Mary’s Good Samaritan also offers a full range of outpatient surgery procedures; birthing suites equipped to handle each phase of the delivery process; home health and hospice services covering 18 counties; and one of the largest behavioral health programs in Illinois.

To meet the needs of local industry, St. Mary’s Good Samaritan offers a Work Safety Institute which helps companies reduce costs, prevent work-related accidents and rehabilitate injured workers. The accredited program offers an array of services, individualized to meet each company’s unique needs.

With nearly 2,000 employees, physicians and volunteers, St. Mary’s Good Samaritan plays a significant role in the community. True to its mission, the organization strives to provide quality healthcare services with compassion, while continuing to evolve to meet the growing healthcare needs of southern Illinois. For more information, visit the organization’s web site at www.smgsi.com, or call toll-free: 877-241-5596.

Crossroads Community Hospital

Crossroads Community Hospital is a 55-bed acute-care facility and is a member of Community Health Systems, Inc., a network which includes over 50 facilities. Located in a scenic part of the business and commercial area of Mt. Vernon, Crossroads Community Hospital is Joint Commission-Accredited and meets the highest standards of medical care service, technology and personnel.

Crossroads Community Hospital’s many services include:

• New 24-Hour Emergency Department
• Inpatient/Outpatient
• Modern Surgery Center
• Intensive Coronary Care Unit
• New Laboratory Department
• Respiratory Services
• Radiology Services
• Mammography Services
• CT Scan/BoneDensity
• Women’s Health
• Home-Care Services
• Inpatient/Outpatient Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy
• Pain-Management Services
• Occupational-Health Services

Crossroads Outpatient Surgery Center offers private rooms for the comfort and convenience of patients and their families during post-operative recuperation. Crossroads’ operating team has been described as dynamic, and consists of qualified and experienced physicians, nurses, anesthetists and technicians. Crossroads’ new Emergency Department is well-equipped; all exam rooms are private, and the facility offers state-of-the-art technology as well as a highly trained staff of physicians and nurses and a trauma surgeon.

Crossroads Community Hospital has some of the most advanced diagnostic technology available in the area. Accurate information detailing the state of the patient’s physical condition is obtained through diagnostic x-ray, bone densitometry, angiography, CT scans, MRI’s, ultrasounds and nuclear medicine. In addition, Crossroads’ Mammography Department utilizes the latest state-of-the-art mammography system, called the Lorad M-IV. This machine is designed to provide innovative breast-imaging solutions to assist in the early detection of breast cancer, and is built to provide superior imaging while being more comfortable for the patient.

With over 90 physicians on staff and affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and Washington University Hospitals in St. Louis, Crossroads Community Hospital offers a wide variety of physician specialties, including Anesthesiology, Internal Medicine, Family Practice, Ear, Nose & Throat, General & Trauma Surgery, Gastrointestinal, Emergency Medicine, Gynecological, Urology, Orthopedics, Neurology, Oncology, Ophthalmology, Podiatry, Cardiology, Pediatrics, Geriatrics, and Women’s Health.

At Crossroads Community Hospital, excellent facilities, skilled nursing care, compassionate treatment, and prominent and experienced physicians are just a few of the many services that demonstrate a strong commitment to provide quality health care for you and your family. And it’s all right here in Jefferson County.

Optometry

Jefferson County is fortunate to have a number of talented, well-educated optometrists close at hand. The Eye Clinic, Dr. Terry Cook and Marion Eye Centers & Optical provide a variety of inexpensive and quality eye care that is the best in our area. The Marion Eye Clinic provides clear cornea no-shot cataract surgery; muscle and eyelid surgery; and pediatric eye care, among other services. The Eye Clinic has been providing complete eyecare services to southern Illinois since the early 1900s. Terence Klingele, M.D. bought The Eye Clinic in 1999. The Eye Clinic has offices in several surrounding communities and a LASIK center in Belleville, providing complete care to patients.

Dr. Terry Cook is celebrating his 32nd year as an optometrist. He prides himself on thorough examinations and offers complete testing for cataracts, glaucoma, sugar diabetes and eye infections at every exam.