Metro East Area News Briefs

Chronicle Media

Kevin Dorsey, interim president of SIU

Dorsey becomes interim SIU president

Dr. J. Kevin Dorsey, dean and provost emeritus of the Southern Illinois University (SIU) School of Medicine in Springfield, officially became the university’s interim president, July 30; following the departure of outgoing Randy Dunn.

Dunn and the SIU Board of Trustees negotiated a separation agreement during a special meeting July 16 at SIU Edwardsville (SIUE).

His departure comes amid controversy over proposals to reallocate the state funding shared by SIUE and SIU Carbondale (SIUC) — or perhaps even to break the SIU System into two separate universities.

State funding has traditionally been divided on a roughly 60-40 basis with the Carbondale campus getting the larger share — despite increasing enrollment at SIUE and decreases at SIUC.

Dunn had drawn growing criticism over recent months from faculty and staff at SIUC, who said he was biased toward increased funding for the Edwardsville campus.

Dunn survived an initiative ouster attempt by SIUC personnel, when the university board deadlocked, 4-4, on a termination voted June 21.

However, two of Dunn’s harshest critics, Board Secretary Joel Sambursky and Vice Chairman Phil Gilbert then publicly revealed nearly 1,900 pages of emails and handwritten notes, showing the university president had been talking with Edwardsville administrators for month about a funding shift.

The documents also indicated Dunn had spoken with 113th District State Representative Jay C. Hoffman (D-Belleville), about legislation the lawmaker would introduce to split the SIU System into two universities.

New interim president Dorsey told reporters the allocation should be based on data, rather than “history,” but any change should be made carefully so as not to adversely affect either campus.

Dorsey is to serve in his new position for one year — or until a permanent president can be hired — with an annual salary of $430,000. 

Under the voluntary separation agree, unanimously approved by the SIU Board, Dunn will receive a six-month severance of $215,000. The agreement also provides for the hiring of Dunn as a visiting professor in Edwardsville, with a $100,000 annual salary, starting Jan. 1.

He became SIU president in 2014. Although Dunn was last in his office on July 17, the separation agree was effective July 30.

St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in O’Fallon

Most Metro East hospitals graded on safety

Four of Metro East’s five major hospitals received grades of B in the Washington, D.C.–based Leapfrog Group’s spring 2018 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades, the nation’s leading scorecard on hospital errors, accidents and infections.

Earning B’s in the bi-annual hospital ratings were HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in O’Fallon; Memorial Hospital in Belleville; Gateway Regional Medical Center in Granite City; Alton Memorial Hospital and OSF Saint Anthony’s Health Center in Alton.

Anderson Hospital in Maryville was assigned a rating of C.

Also earning B ratings were two hospitals just outside the Metro East region: Memorial Hospital of Carbondale and Passavant Area Hospital in Jacksonville.

For detailed results of the survey see https://bit.ly/2O2jtOT

Alton hospital wants input on area health needs

OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony’s Health Center is asking Alton area residents to help identify and prioritize their region’s top health needs.

Like many hospitals around the nation, OSF HealthCare facilities conduct community health needs assessments every three years and then develop plans to meet the community needs that the assessments identify.

“Every community has different health care needs,” said Ajay Pathak, President of OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony’s Health Center. “Through this survey, we hope to get input from a broad set of community members to help us focus our efforts on the challenges and opportunities unique to Alton and the Riverbend.”

After data is collected and each community’s health needs are prioritized. Administrative and caregiver teams when work together to further support current community-based health programs and services, as well as starting new programs to help meet the needs for each community.

“Our last survey identified behavioral health as one of the greatest opportunities for improvement in our community,” said Pathak.

Interested Alton area residents can participate by taking the survey online at osfsaintanthonys.org; requesting a paper copy at the Information Desk of OSF Saint Anthony’s Health Center or OSF Saint Clare’s Hospital, or calling Tina Zumwalt at (618) 463-5394. Survey responses will be accepted through Aug. 31.

 

 

–Metro East Area News Briefs–