A hospital near the Quad Cities has been chosen to help rural residents of Illinois get vaccinated for the coronavirus. Genesis Medical Center-Aledo is one of nine that'll work with the Illinois Department of Public Health in its efforts to help under-served parts of the state.
Administrator Ted Rogalski says the hospital was chosen based on its work with the Mercer County Health Department - they've been receiving just 200 vaccine doses per week, since December for local residents.
"We have already administered over 6,000 doses to Mercer County residents in a short period of time. So the state looked at us in having that success and being able handle additional vaccine volume."
Rogalski says the state will send the hospital in Aledo 400 doses per week from now on, in addition to the 200 it had been sharing with the county health department. With the additional vaccine, Genesis will hold clinics on Saturdays from 8 am until noon, focusing now on people with underlying health conditions, but other local residents can try to make appointments for whatever doses are left over each week.
The other eight Illinois hospitals chosen to help get vaccine to rural residents are:
• Taylorville Memorial Hospital, in Christian County,
• Gibson Area Hospital, in Ford County,
• Hamilton Memorial Hospital District, in Hamilton County,
• Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital, in Logan County,
• Hillsboro Area Hospital, in Montgomery County,
• Hopedale Medical Complex, in Tazewell County,
• Carle Hoopeston Regional Health Center, in Vermilion County,
• and Fairfield Memorial Hospital, in Wayne County,
