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Gibson Area Hospital & Health Services receives ICAHN’s 2019 IMPACT Award

November 27, 2019

Gibson Area Hospital & Health Services receives ICAHN’s 2019 IMPACT Award

Gibson Area Hospital & Health Services receives ICAHN’s 2019 IMPACT Award

(from Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network)

GIBSON CITY, IL –

Gibson Area Hospital & Health Services, Gibson City, was awarded the Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network’s IMPACT Award for its creation and implementation of a dental clinic during ceremonies held November 13th at the I-Hotel and Conference Center, Champaign, IL.

Participants vying for the award were encouraged to submit innovations implemented at their respective hospitals which initiated a new approach to improve patient relationships, implemented a new process flow or life-safety improvement, found a creative way to motivate and inspire staff, or fostered a successful community project.

Area physicians and representatives from its local school system informed Gibson Area Hospital & Health Services’ staff of the need for access to dental care. Patients had been on a waiting list for up to six months or were forced to go to the University of Illinois-Chicago for care. In response to this need, GAHHS opened a dental clinic within its facility to provide dental care to those who struggle to find services and those who cannot afford to pay for these services.

“As oral disease affects overall health and well-being, lack of access to dental care had an adverse impact on oral health and was a factor in both high rates of preventable emergency department use of the opioid epidemic,” said Rob Schmitt, GAHHS CEO. “With our new dental clinic, many of these issues have been alleviated.”

Horizon Health, Paris, and Genesis Medical Center, Aledo, were also honored at the event for patient services development and the Mercer County Mental Health Action Program.

Photo:
Doug Florkowski (left), ICAHN Board of Directors President; Natalie Mead, GAHHS Director of Dental Health; and Robert Schmitt, GAHHS CEO, with the 2019 IMPACT Award for service excellence.

 

ABOUT ICAHN

ICAHN is a network of 56 small rural Illinois hospitals dedicated to strengthening the operations of its member hospitals through collaboration. The organization is composed of Illinois hospitals who have earned critical access hospital designation by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. ICAHN is recognized nationally for its work with rural healthcare and administers several state, federal, and private healthcare programs. The ICAHN office is located in Princeton, IL.

How to Contact Us

To contact Gibson Area Hospital directly call (217) 784-4251. For Security Concerns please call the Security Officer at (217) 784-2370. For general questions or comments about the GAHHS website, fill out the form on the contact page or email .

 Contact Us
 (217) 784-4251