CAIRO CLINIC WORKS TO EXPAND TREATMENTS; MEGA-CLINIC OPENS ON FIVE-ACRE TRACT JUST NORTH OF CITY

CAIRO, Ill. -- Medical care in Cairo has taken a step forward with the relocation and expansion of Community Health Services Inc.

A 20,000-square-foot mega-clinic opened Wednesday on a five-acre tract near the Interstate 57 and Route 3 intersection north of Cairo.

"We saw our first patient in the new clinic Wednesday," said Fred Bernstein, director of the health service. "We're delighted to be in our new facility and look forward to providing more services, including ambulatory surgery."

The new mega-clinic, which has been on the planning board a number of years, is a dream come true for Bernstein and Community Health.

"This is the first time we have had a clinic designed for the services we provide," said Bernstein. "We are pleased with the response of the community. We feel we have a facility everyone can be proud of."

Prior to last week, Community Health was housed on the top four floors of the U.S. Post Office building in Cairo.

"This made it difficult for some patients," said Bernstein. "We now have a one-level facility, which meets all the rules, regulations and codes for the handicapped."

An open house will be held at the facility Oct. 18.

"We want the public to have an opportunity to see our new clinic," said Bernstein.

The clinic will include outpatient surgery, a dental clinic, and an urgent care facility.

"The urgent care department will open later," said Bernstein. "We're still waiting for some emergency room equipment. Hopefully, it will be here in early November."

The clinic will be seeing from 80 to 125 patients a day, said Bernstein.

"Until we receive all of our urgent care equipment, we will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.," he said. "Once we're fully operational, we will extend our hours, probably from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. At that time, the urgent care room will be open during clinic hours.

"Eventually, we hope to offer 24-hour emergency service," added Bernstein.

The clinic has six physicians as well as a pathologist and radiologist.

"We also have the services of two dentists, a podiatrist and two physician-assistants," said Bernstein.

The clinic took about 14 months to construct.

"When we started actual construction in July of 1991, we felt it would be about 14 months before completion," said Bernstein. "We've opened on schedule."

Bernstein said the clinic will "help us keep our present physicians and will help in our recruiting of other medical specialists."

The Cairo area has been without an urgent care facility since 1988. The city's hospital, faced with financial difficulties, closed in 1986, and Community Health contracted with the state to keep the emergency room open. Funds dried up and the emergency service was closed in August of 1988.

Since then, residents of Alexander and Pulaski counties have had to go to hospitals in Anna, Ill., and Cape Girardeau and Sikeston to receive emergency care.

Community Health Services, which started in 1974, was operated by the Cairo Hospital until it became a separate entity in 1980. The organization has not been designed to handle emergencies since 1988.

Funding for the $1.5 million facility came from grants and loans.

The city of Cairo had received a $500,000 grant for a clinic several years ago from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs. During a special session, the Cairo City Council approved a resolution to give the funding to Community Health for its clinic.

Community Health had $200,000 left in an escrow from a state grant, which was used for design work.

Long-term financing came from the Central Laborers Pension Fund, which has a mortgage program for this type of financing, and some short-term loans were arranged through area banks.