News From SIH

After hearing about the shortage of personal protective equipment to fight COVID-19, Bernie Hennenberger’s best friend, Darren Haney, had an idea to help local hospitals during the pandemic. They could use their 3D printers to make face shields for health care workers.

Dr. Sarah Altamimi, an infectious disease physician at Southern Illinois Healthcare, knows a good way you can protect yourself from COVID-19: Stop wearing vinyl or latex gloves in public. “Wearing gloves does not add any level of security or protection, and it might add harm,” Altamimi said.

A Marion man is speaking out about fear of COVID-19 preventing people from seeking emergency care after he waited three days to get help during a heart attack. On May 1, David Willard of Marion took advantage of the nice weather to power wash his house.

GLOVES FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY. Is wearing rubber gloves while out in public effective in protecting you from the Corona virus?

Director of Emergency Services at SIH Herrin Hospital joined Will Stephens to talk about COVID-19 and Emergency Medical Care. Dr. Miksanek said that Emergency care for Heart Attack and Stroke is not occurring at typical rates. This leads SIH to believe people are putting off Emergency Medical Care due to COVID-19.

CARBONDALE — Among the many items essential healthcare workers rely upon to keep them safer during the COVID-19 pandemic is a clear, plastic shield that fits on their head, covering their faces. And, like other items, face shields are running in short supply. Faculty at Southern Illinois University Carbondale are pitching in to help solve the local shortage.

SIH continues to see dozens of mask donations daily in response to the personal protective equipment shortage. Denise Glennon's mother is a former nurse who taught her how to sow; she understands the need for masks when a loved one is sick.

We understand there’s a lot of anxiety around what to do if you suspect you or a loved one has been exposed to COVID-19 and might be sick.

Here’s what we recommend to help get the guidance you need and prevent spread in your home and community:

SIH Memorial Hospital of Carbondale is caring for a patient with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus). The test was sent to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) lab in Carbondale for testing and SIH subsequently learned the test results were positive. SIH is collaborating with Jackson County Health Department.

Governor J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced the first two COVID-19 test results in our region involving a patient in Williamson County and Jackson County. Both patients were screened through the SIH COVID-19 hotline and SIH drive-through testing sites.