USDA Rural Development Leaders Visit Pinckneyville Community Hospital, Highlighting 10 Years of Growth

Representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development offices in Mt. Vernon, Champaign and Washington D.C. visited the Hospital on Wednesday July 9^th. The representatives included: George Kelly, Administrator for the Rural Housing Service; Jesus Ortega, Illinois State Director; Molly Hammonds, Illinois Deputy State Director; Dan Janson, Area Director; Michelle Laskowski, Area Specialist; and Abby Bacon, Business Program Specialist. Funding loans through the USDA program are what made our replacement facility a reality, including the various construction and renovation projects that we’ve completed over the past ten years. They were very impressed with the facility including the layout and cleanliness. They asked about our connections with the community, patient services, growth and strategies that we undertake to recruit staff. They were pleased to see how we communicate our Press Ganey patient satisfaction scores and to see that the care given by our amazing staff has our scores above the state averages. They also like how we “grow our own” staff by recruiting CNAs from the local high school and sponsoring staff with our educational assistance program. It was our pleasure to show them around our fine facility and brag about the great staff we have who help ensure that our community is served well and that our patients keep coming back to us for their healthcare needs.