News From SIH

Most of us are worried about coronavirus symptoms, but doctors don't want you to forget about your heart health. Dr. Gangadhar Malasana with SIH Prairie Heart Institute said nationally, there's been a 50% drop in people seeking help for heart attacks.

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

Southern Illinois Healthcare announced last week that SIH Medical Group is now conducting video visits for outpatient visits. Dr. Matt Winkleman, of SIH Primary Care in Harrisburg, explained that government restrictions on telemedicine were recently loosened, which opened different types of platforms for medical visits.

Social distancing and concerns over COVID-19 are prompting many hospitals to cancel elective procedures, but many patients still need to see their doctors. Doctor Matt Winkleman has been on the front lines for SIH in the fight against the coronavirus. He says in the last week they've made major strides in taking their effort to serve more patients online. Telehealth has become a necessary alternative for patients and local health care providers.

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.

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.

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.

A relief fund is helping local health care workers and the community they serve. It's called the SIH COVID-19 Relief Fund. Being a health care professional has never been easy. Add a pandemic to the mix, and the stress level increases substantially. Vice President of Community Affairs Woody Thorne with Southern Illinois Healthcare said they're handling it the best they can.

Southern Illinois University is utilizing 3D printing technology to create plastic face shields for Southern Illinois Healthcare. Lingguo Bu, associate professor of curriculum and instruction, with support from the SIU STEM Education Research Center, has already delivered about 150 shields to SIH, and on Monday he delivered 20 more.

Woody Thorne, Vice President of Community Affairs for Southern Illinois Healthcare joined Will Stephens on WXAN to talk about the SIH Community Foundation, Southern Illinois Healthcare's response to COVID-19, and what he has learned about Southern Illinois during this pandemic.