The Blessing Ceremony for OSF Saint Katharine Medical Center, Dixon, IL began promptly at 11:00 am on Tuesday, January 7, 2025. It was emceed by Shelli Dankoff, Media Relations Manager and Multimedia Services Manager for OSF Healthcare.
The OSF Choir, under the direction of KaEllen Schrag, greeted visitors to the dedication with the beautiful harmonies of various hymns. The choir is made up of mission partners from throughout the OSF Healthcare Ministry that had traveled to be at the ceremony.
“Today marks the significant milestone in the journey of OSF Healthcare,” Dankoff said. “For the last 147 years, it has been our mission to service with the greatest care and love, which makes this, our 17th hospital, so special. Since Katherine Shaw Bethea first opened its doors 127 years ago, two hospitals making sure that everyone has the care they need in the communities served by OSF Healthcare.”
“We are thankful for the opportunity to honor God,” Dankoff continued, “and serve His people, our patients.”
She then introduced Sister Agnes Joseph, Major Superior of the Sisters of the Third Order of Saint Francis and the Chairperson of the Boards of OSF HealthCare.
Sister Joseph spoke of how faith in God will help them overcome any obstacles and that they will work together to provide a brighter future for the people of Sauk Valley. The mission of OSF has not changed in 147 years. They have been called by God to serve people with the greatest care and love and the spirit of Christ and the example of St. Francis of Assisi.
“We are honored that the Sauk Valley community has entrusted us with their healthcare,” Sister Joseph concluded, “and we are excited to expand our ministry with Saint Katharine Medical Center. May God Bless You All.”
Speaking on the importance of having Saint Katharine Medical Center join the OSF HealthCare ministry and the impact it will have on the Dixon Community was OSF HealthCare Western Region CEO, AJ Querciagrossa. He spoke about serving those in the community just as KSB did, as well as sustaining healthcare for the future. OSF is an integrated healthcare system, which means that there are resources networked throughout their facilities, “25,000 strong”. In addition to providing the same compassionate care as KSB has done, with many of the same people, Dixon and the Sauk Valley area will have access to these additional providers and services offered by OSF HealthCare. They will not turn anyone away, regardless of their ability to pay, just like KSB had done.
“OSF is no stranger to rural healthcare, as we continue to try to serve with the greatest care and love… that’s our goal – to keep care local,” said AJ Querciagrossa, Western Region CEO, OSF HealthCare. “Keep our citizens and those that come to us for care served here just as KSB has done for over 127 years.”
Dixon Mayor Glen Hughes welcomed OSF HealthCare to the City of Dixon. He appreciated the recognition of the name change and the preservation of KSB Hospital’s history. He commented on the spelling of the name, Katharine with an “a” instead of an “e”. The program included information on the history of Saint Katharine, whose last name was Drexel. She was from Pennsylvania and lived from 1858 to 1955. She is the patron saint of racial justice and philanthropists. Due to her dedication to serving others as Jesus would, it was a natural choice to name the facility in her honor, as well as preserve the history of Katherine Shaw Bethea.
“I am pleased to welcome OSF Healthcare to the City of Dixon,” said Glen Hughes, Mayor of Dixon, IL. “And I look forward to their commitment as a community partner.”
Dr. David Hellmich, the final KSB Board Chair, spoke on the board’s difficult and emotional decision to seek affiliation. He recalled the history of Judge Solomon Bethea, who purchased land and gave it to the City of Dixon to establish a hospital in memory of his wife, Katherine Shaw Bethea. He believed Judge Solomon and the previous founding directors would understand the decision as it led the Dixon community and all of the Sauk Valley to be served by OSF Saint Katharine Medical Center. The history of KSB Hospital will live on as the familiar historical walls and photographs throughout the hospital will remain.
Dr. David Schreiner, Past President and CEO of KSB Hospital spoke of the beginning to explore the development of affiliation and if to pursue that, with who. This decision was guided by the question, “What is best for our patients?” OSF HealthCare matched KSB in many similarities, but it was their culture that made this decision the most apparent. Schreiner also said later that many of the physicians and staff were retained, so the community will continue to see the familiar faces that they have relationships within their healthcare.
The new President of OSF HealthCare Saint Katharine Medical Center, Jackie Kernan, MSN, RN spoke next:
“This is a true culmination of so many efforts to strengthen healthcare in our community. There are so many things that won’t change. The exceptional service and compassionate caring legacy of Katherine Shaw Bethea Hospital are going to continue to live on, supported by our OSF Mission to serve every patient with the greatest care and love.”
Kernan concluded, “It’s these familiar faces that will continue to care for OSF Saint Katharine.”
Following the reading of scripture, reflection, and a prayer of blessing, Bishop David Malloy of Rockford, blessed the facility while the OSF Choir sang two hymns. He also blessed the Emergency Room. The closing hymn was the “Prayer of St. Francis”. Following that, a luncheon was provided in the Judge Solomon Conference Room and tours of the hospital were given.
A familiar face, Retha Elston, RN, greeted tour attendees on the third floor. It has 14 beds that are all private rooms with another 23 beds for pediatric patients and patients undergoing surgery, cath lab, or end of life. The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) has 6 beds designed with monitoring services for patients with complications, de-escalating in care, or end of life. The monitoring in ICU includes Intensivist which is a Telemed service with Critical Care specialists within the OSF Health System that assists the bedside teams in critical patient care.
The OB floor, or “The Birthplace” as KSB called it, has recently remodeled rooms called LDRP Rooms, which means Labor, Delivery, Recovery, Postpartum. They feature expanded space, a lot of family/patient support areas, and a side room with all the medical supplies to care for patient needs, within each LDRP room. They see about 350 deliveries per year. This is one of the core services KSB has provided to the community.
Day Surgery has a recovering area right by the Operating Room and sees patients having general surgery, orthopedic surgery, OB (Cesarean and other procedures), Gastroenterology procedures (such as a colonoscopy), Ear, Nose and Throat procedures, and Outpatient surgery. This used to also house Infusion, but that has moved to the first floor with a comfortable spacious area and a separate outside entrance. There is also a Wound Care area and Women’s Imaging Services, offering Mammography, Ultrasound, and Echo, on the first floor next to Infusion. For more information on OSF HealthCare Saint Katharine Medical Center, they can be reached at (815) 288-5531 or visit them at https://x.osfhealthcare.org/hospitals/saint-katharine
.
