MCHD, Passavant Roles Change As State Shifts Into New COVID Phase

By Benjamin Cox on June 8, 2021 at 1:09pm

The state is switching to a new phase in the COVID-19 pandemic. With that change, Passavant Area Hospital and the Morgan County Health Department are switching up their response.

Passavant President and CEO Dr. Scott Boston says that at the height of their mass vaccination clinics, the hospital vaccinated approximately 2,000 individuals a week. In all, Boston says the hospital administered about 10,000 doses of the vaccine. He says now those numbers have significantly dwindled.

Boston says the Morgan County Health Department will now take over the responsibility of vaccination but will still get a little help from the hospital: “The Health Department is going to be taking over sole responsibility for the vaccination clinics, but they are going to use some space on our campus. The very western building on our campus, the Health Department is going to use that as their facility to vaccinate people going forward. We are not as directly involved in administering the vaccine but the health department is going to be using our space to do that at least through the end of July.”

Boston says as the hospital turns the corner, they are also making some changes by welcoming two new doctors to town. Dr. Kyle Hadden will be joining Memorial Physician Services and the Passavant Hospital team within the next few months. Hadden will be joining general practice. Dr. Laura Naughton will be joining an expansion in OB-GYN services at SIU Center for Women’s Health.

Boston says right now the hospital, like all businesses in town, is in need of help. He says there are a number of incentives, education grants, and scholarship programs available through the Passavant Hospital Foundation and the Passavant Auxiliary. Boston says for interested parties to go to Passavant’s website and click on the Education Assistance link or call the hospital directly.

Boston says the hospital will start face-to-face hiring and recruiting events within the next month to fill all of their vacancies all over the hospital.