Executive Leadership Team Announced
We are pleased and proud to announce the new Executive Leadership Team for both of our organizations, St. Margaret’s Health – Spring Valley and St. Margaret’s Health – Peru. Visit our new Executive Leadership Team page to learn more about our leaders, made up of:
Tim Muntz, President & CEO
Linda Burt, Vice President of Quality & Community Services
Karen Gress, Vice President of Ancillary & Support Services
Tommy Hobbs, Vice President of Operations
Kim Santman, Vice President of Finance
Mary Vega, Vice President of Nursing
Our Executive Leadership Team asks for your continued patience, support and cooperation as we move forward with integration efforts!
Care Built on Our Community from People You Know & Trust
Your trusted care providers are always available to you at the same convenient locations.
While St. Margaret’s Hospital and Illinois Valley Community Hospital
(IVCH) have new names, St. Margaret’s Health – Spring Valley and
St. Margaret’s Health – Peru, rest assured you can expect the same
compassionate care from the physicians and medical staff you’ve
always trusted with your health.
In addition to the Peru hospital campus, you will find the names
of all locations changing soon to reflect the affiliation. Be at ease
knowing you will see your physician at the office where you have
always seen them. Should any changes arise concerning your
medical provider, St. Margaret’s Health will make it a priority to
let you know.
St. Margaret’s and IVCH Finalize Affiliation!
SPRING VALLEY, Illinois (December 31, 2020)
St. Margaret’s Hospital in Spring Valley and Illinois Valley Community Hospital (IVCH) in Peru have finalized arrangements to consolidate their healthcare operations to form a regional health network. The organization will be known as St. Margaret’s Health and will be governed by SMP Health System. Effective January 1, 2021, IVCH will be known as St. Margaret’s Health-Peru, while St. Margaret’s Hospital will be known as St. Margaret’s Health-Spring Valley.
“We are extremely pleased that, after a two-year process, we have finalized the agreement to form one entity that will serve the healthcare needs of the Illinois Valley. We want to welcome our new colleagues from St. Margaret’s Health-Peru to the SMP Health System. We look forward to working together to create a vibrant healthcare network and enhance the care our patients have come to expect from us,” said Aaron Alton, President/CEO of SMP Health System.
“In coming together, we support a shared vision for the efficient delivery of high quality healthcare in the region. Our affiliation presents an exciting opportunity to enhance the services we provide, while also strengthening the financial health of the organization,” said Tim Muntz, President/CEO of St. Margaret’s Health. “A thorough assessment is currently underway to streamline operations and explore new services our communities may need. We expect this process to be completed within two years.”
New Board of Directors appointed to lead the combined health system
SPRING VALLEY, Illinois (November 19, 2020)
St. Margaret’s Health in Spring Valley, a member of SMP Health System, and Illinois Valley Community Hospital (IVCH) in Peru received approval on their proposed affiliation from the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board (IHFSRB) on November 1. With this authorization from the State, St. Margaret’s and IVCH have commenced their integration planning process, which includes the creation of a new Board of Directors.
The Board will provide oversight and guidance to the newly combined integrated health system that will also be known as St. Margaret’s Health. After the affilation is complete, IVCH will be known as St. Margaret’s Health – Peru. St. Margaret’s Hospital will be known as St. Margaret’s Health – Spring Valley.
“We are honored to have such dedicated community leaders represented on the Board of Directors of St. Margaret’s Health.” said Aaron K. Alton, President & CEO SMP Health System. “Their leadership will be invaluable as our hospitals move forward together to care for communities across the Illinois Valley.”
The following members were appointed to the new St. Margaret’s Health Board of Directors by the SMP Health System Board of Directors:
- Aaron Alton, President & CEO, SMP Health System
- Jim Clinard, Principal, Director of Engineering, Chamlin & Associates
- Chris Cyr, President, Cyr Financial Wealth Advisors
- Terry Judd, Board Member, SMP Health System & SMP Health Ministry
- Jim Loveland, Plant Manager, Maze Nails
- John McCormick, President & CEO, Eureka Savings Bank
- Joyce McCullough, President, Miller Group Media
- Tim Muntz, President & CEO, St. Margaret’s Health
- Kris Paul, Faculty (retired), Illinois Valley Community College/Lincoln College
- Dave Sickley, Principal, D.J. Sickley Construction Company
- Rick Twanow, MD, Family Physician (retired), St. Margaret’s Health
The Board members’ new terms will take effect January 1, 2021. St. Margaret’s and IVCH intend to finalize their affiliation by the end of this year. Once the affiliation is complete, the combined entities will conduct a thorough assessment of facilities, the services provided and the needs of the community. It is anticipated that the full integration of the two organizations will take one to two years.
New regional health network will strengthen health care in the Illinois Valley
SPRING VALLEY, Illinois (October 14, 2020)
St. Margaret’s Health in Spring Valley, a member of SMP Health System, and Illinois Valley Community Hospital (IVCH) in Peru have signed a binding Definitive Agreement to consolidate their healthcare operations to form a regional health network. The new organization will be governed by SMP Health System through a new regional parent company, which will have board members representing the local communities historically served by the two health systems.
“We are extremely pleased that IVCH has chosen to partner with St. Margaret’s and the SMP Health System. SMP Health System is looking forward to working with our IVCH colleagues to create a vibrant healthcare network which will better serve the needs of the Illinois Valley community,” said Aaron K. Alton, President/CEO SMP Health System. “This new partnership will also help to expand the Mission of the Sisters of Mary of the Presentation.”
“Our collective efforts will allow us to better address the challenges we face in today’s healthcare climate,” said Tim Muntz, St. Margaret’s President/CEO. “This affiliation allows us the opportunity to enhance our operations and services, while also exploring the possibilities of bringing additional services to our community.”
“Joining St. Margaret’s and SMP Health System provides us the best opportunity to preserve the care provided by IVCH and ensure the health needs of our community will be met long into the future,” said Tommy Hobbs, CEO at IVCH. “Nothing is more important to us than the well-being of those we serve.”
Both St. Margaret’s and IVCH have recently submitted Certificate of Exemption applications to the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board (IHFSRB), for a change of ownership. After the affilation is complete, IVCH will be known as St. Margaret’s Health – Peru. Likewise, St. Margaret’s Hospital will be known as St. Margaret’s Health – Spring Valley.
St. Margaret’s and IVCH intend to finalize their affiliation by the end of this year, pending approval by the IHFSRB. Once the affiliation is complete, the combined entities will conduct a thorough assessment of both facilities, the services provided and the needs of the communities that they serve.
It is anticipated that the full integration of the two organizations will take one to two years.
Frequently Asked Questions
What has been announced?
St. Margaret’s Health and IVCH have signed a binding Definitive Agreement to form a regional health network as part of SMP Health System. By coming together, we will be able to offer excellent healthcare close to home and ensure a thriving health system to serve our community long into the future.
This announcement comes after an extensive amount of due diligence. The best interests of our patients, medical staff, employees, and our communities have been driving our decisions throughout this process.
What are the goals of this affiliation?
St. Margaret’s Health and IVCH have each served this region for more than 100 years. We recognized that coming together is in the best interest of our patients, given the dramatic changes in the healthcare delivery system. By combining our operations, we will be able to provide more high-quality, efficient and locally coordinated care for our patients.
Our two hospitals support a shared vision for efficiently delivering high-quality healthcare in the region. We already successfully collaborate on joint initiatives, such as Valley Regional Health Services and Valley Regional Cancer Center. The residents of our communities have also long encouraged our hospitals to work more closely together.
Together, we will form a sustainable regional health network that will be able to meet the health needs of our communities, today and long into the future.
What led to this decision?
As you know, today’s healthcare environment and the delivery of care have evolved significantly in recent years. Stand-alone hospitals need to think strategically and be fiscally responsible to survive.
Thanks to advances in healthcare, we are able to care for more people on an outpatient basis. People who do need to spend the night in the hospital generally have shorter stays than in years past. This shift places added pressures on small community hospitals, like St. Margaret’s and IVCH. Additional expertise, resources and partnerships are also necessary to implement new population health initiatives that address the health needs of entire communities.
After an extensive review of the hospital’s options dating back to 2017, the IVCH Board and leadership team determined that a mutually-beneficial affiliation with another health system would allow IVCH to preserve and enhance the clinical services available to the residents of the Illinois Valley. IVCH approached St. Margaret’s to consider an affiliation.
St. Margaret’s and IVCH announced our intent to affiliate in March 2019. Since then, we have been exploring what an affiliation would mean for our organizations, our patients, and our communities. Our conversations were paused at the start of the COVID-19 crisis, but the experience of a global pandemic has only made our resolve to come together stronger.
As a single organization, we can achieve the scale necessary to expand our clinical programs, recruit physicians and staff, attract patients and, most importantly, provide the highest quality care for our patients close to home.
What happens next?
Nothing will change immediately.
We have submitted Certificate of Exemption applications for a change of ownership to the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board. Applications were filed for both IVCH and St. Margaret’s to reflect the new integrated health system. With regulatory approval, we expect our affiliation to be finalized on December 31, 2020.
A local Board of community leaders will continue to guide the new integrated system. Our two hospitals will be known as St. Margaret’s Health-Spring Valley and St. Margaret’s Health-Peru.
Once our affiliation is completed, we will conduct a thorough assessment of both facilities, services provided, and our community’s needs. It is too soon to know when service line expansions or consolidations, capital investments or other changes, may happen and what they would look like.
We expect the full integration of our two organizations to take one to two years.
What will this mean for patients?
St. Margaret’s Health and IVCH will work collaboratively to offer comprehensive, high-quality services so our patients can receive the care they need close to home. We can do this more effectively working together than apart.
We intend to make this process as smooth as possible for our patients, staff and communities. Our patients will be able to expect superior healthcare delivered in the same compassionate manner. Patients will continue to have access to their same care providers.
What services will the health network provide?
The new regional health network will look to grow and enhance the healthcare services available in our community. After the transaction’s closing, we will be reviewing what the best inpatient and outpatient models will be for the new integrated network. We intend to continue operating both campuses.
Will IVCH follow the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services (ERDs)?
As an affiliate of SMP Health System, IVCH will abide by the ERDs.
When will more information be available?
SMP Health System, St. Margaret’s Health and IVCH are committed to sharing information throughout this process. We look forward to sharing an update once the affiliation has been approved by the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board in the next month or two.
We remain optimistic about the opportunity an affiliation presents, to better serve our communities. We are grateful for your ongoing support.