A mission first started back in September of 2017 will now see one of its biggest goals come to fruition. When the STEPUP organization began to try to find ways to help our schools and community, there was the big question of: “What is needed here, more than anything?”
Deanna Witzel addresses the Friday morning Dec 3rd STEPUP meeting at Danville’s Second Church of Christ.
As STEPUP’s Deanna Witzel recalls, it was determined that three major community needs were help with substance abuse assistance, mental health care, and assistance for parenting and families. The STEPUP team soon took a look at what Crossing Health Care had done for the Decatur community. Then, Witzel told us a while back, a very important moment happened.
AUDIO: Then we had a conversation with John Shimkus, our congressman at the time. “How to we get some federal money to help us build a facility?” Well, John Shimkus introduced us to Larry McCulley, who is the CEO, president, and founder of Southern Illinois Health Care Foundation. And so a group of us went to Effingham to take a look at what they were doing.
Southern Illinois Health Care Foundation plans to have a school site FQHC operating at Danville High School by this coming spring.
And now, Friday morning December 3rd, during the STEPUP meeting at Second Church of Christ in Danville, it was announced that Southern Illinois Health Care Foundation will be establishing a Federally Qualified Health Center, FQHC, in two Danville locations. One will be downstairs at Danville High School, near the access to the cafeteria, but away from student foot traffic. The hope is to have it established to start seeing students this coming spring. District 118 Superintendent Dr. Alicia Geddes is thrilled.
AUDIO: Once upon a time Danville did have a school-based health care facility. During that time, approximately 569 to 675 students were enrolled in the program. And some of the programs or services we offered were physicals, immunizations, STD screenings, treatment, education, acute care, family planning, pre-natal enrollments, pregnancy testing, basic social services, dentistry; and we need to bring all of those services back.
The former St. Elizabeth Hospital site is the planned home for the main Southern Illinois Health Care Foundation Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Danville.
Then there’s the other location, which tentatively calls for a brand new structure at the old St Elizabeth Hospital site. Deanna Witzel says, it’s just a matter of finalizing things.
AUDIO: And we just have to meet with the land bank and get the board of approval. It used to be a health care center that was there before, so it’s already zoned for that. So to put another health care center there, it’s really the perfect place to be.
(Left) Southern Illinois Health Care Foundation President and CEO Larry McCulley is greeted by STEPUP meeting emcee Mike Hulvey from Neuhoff Media. (Right) McCulley explains plans for the new Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) sites in Danville.
Larry McCulley is the founder, CEO, and president of Southern Illinois Health Care Foundation. While they will start with services talked about, such as parenting and families care, and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Care; McCulley says much more could come.
AUDIO: The limit really is about our accomplishment with our partners. That’s the reason we’re coming into the community. It’s not what we want to do, but what our partners in the community need.
And McCulley reminds us, for FQHC’s, their mission is that no one is turned away. They offer assistance with health insurance plans, and simply work to get individuals and families the care they need.
AUDIO: Our ultimate goal with our team and our staff is to make sure the individuals have the comfort level of walking into a health facility; so they feel respected, that they’re going to be able to get the care they need, and the services linked to them; so they can improve their life and well being.
In addition to the plans for DHS, Southern Illinois Health Care Foundation has other school-based FQHCs; in Cahokia, East St. Louis, Collinsville, and Roxana.
