Sarah Bush Lincoln Submits CON for Effingham Replacement Building

Sarah Bush Lincoln submitted a certificate of need application with the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board to build an expanded replacement building for the SBL Bonutti Clinic in Effingham. Photo submitted by Sarah Bush Lincoln.

For Immediate Release

“We’re pleased to further invest in Effingham with this long-term commitment to provide excellent medical care,” SBL President and CEO Jerry Esker said. “We are honored to receive such a warm welcome over the more than dozen years we have provided care here.” In all, Sarah Bush Lincoln employs 354 residents of Effingham County.

The proposed project is a $35 million replacement building for the deteriorating SBL Bonutti Clinic at 1303 Evergreen Street, Effingham. The 65,400-square-foot building will accommodate services, which are currently in Sarah Bush Lincoln buildings in Effingham.

The two-story building will house the established practices of:

six orthopedists and four of the orthopedic advanced practice providers (Joseph Ajdinovich, MD, Peter Bonutti, MD, Michael Chioffe, MD, Kayla Deters, APRN, Stacia Fallert, APRN, Timothy Gray, MD, Frank Lee, MD, Didi Omiyi, MD, Nick Williams, PA-C, and Tom Williams, PA-C)
Occupational Medicine practice (Louis Schwing, MD, and Jennifer Hess, APRN)
Interventional Pain Management practice (Brian Ogan, MD)
Primary Care (Internal Medicine Physician Louis Schwing, MD, and Family Medicine practitioner Cari Fearday, PA-C)
Walk-In Clinic (Doug Kabbes, MD, and Nicholas Watkins, PA-C)
Rehabilitation Services including physical and occupational medicine with a rehab pool; and speech therapy
Diagnostic imaging including general radiology, CT, MRI and ultrasound; clinical laboratory services
Office space, conference room and storage areas.

Surgeries and procedures will not be performed in the new SBL Bonutti Clinic. They will continue to be performed at the Effingham Ambulatory Surgery Center and at Sarah Bush Lincoln.

SBL Facility Services Director Tim Kastl explained, that Sarah Bush Lincoln purchased the land and two adjacent parcels and requested the city rezone the parcels to comply with the services that are proposed for the site. The proposed plan is to build the new building behind the existing one-story structure and then raze the building to make room for the parking lot. Construction is expected to take about 18 months.

The current SBL Bonutti Clinic was originally constructed more than 50 years ago as a roller skating rink and later served as a shopping center. The building is inefficient and has several issues including a poor HVAC system and leaky roof. “It has outgrown its usefulness,” Kastl added.

The proposed building will have a drive-up canopied entrance on the front of the building and a partially covered drop-off entrance on the north side for the Walk-In Clinic. The MRI, which is currently docked outside the building, will be placed inside. The modern building will be finished with brick, stone and metals. The interior will feature a large tiled foyer and area to display art from the Effingham County Art Guild.

The project will be paid for with the sale of bonds. Sarah Bush Lincoln has an A+ bond rating from Standard & Poor’s Global Ratings.

Sarah Bush Lincoln is designated as a Top Rural Hospital by The Leapfrog Group, ranking SBL in the top 6 percent of hospitals in the nation. The prestigious designation measures quality and safety of hospitals nationwide. It also was named America’s Best Hospital for Orthopedics by Women’s Choice Award, which measures quality, safety and patient experience, placing the orthopedic program in the top 11 percent nationwide.

Construction could begin as early as October once a Certificate of Need permit is received. For more information, contact Tim Kastl, 217 258-2537.