The last shift of nurses at St. Margaret’s Health Spring Valley went out on top by standing and waving on the roof of the now-closed hospital. They clocked out at 7pm. A now former nurse named Eden says she closed the ICU doors before she clocked out. She says the building was as empty as it had been since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A good-sized crowd gathered outside in the parking lot to thank the people who served in the hospital and also remember the history of the hospital in the city. While there were tears, there was also a lot memories shared about the hosptial. People said their families got started at the hospital. Eden said her grandmother was treated for a heart attack at the Spring Valley hospital, and she wouldn’t know what it would be like now. There is now a lot of concern about the future of healthcare for residents.
Several former employees said that the hospital staff were more than just co-workers, they were family. It’s not known what will happen with the Spring Valley hospital which was first opened in 1903. Former employees Chris Fiedler, Jenny Turner, and Janet Reno say they’re hoping for something, possibly a clinic that OSF Healthcare could open.
SMH CEO Tim Muntz announced earlier this month that the hospital will close because there isn’t enough money to keep it open. OSF is looking to purchase the former SMH Peru hospital for a possible $38 million and could be opened later this year. SMH Peru closed earlier this year under very sudden circumstances.
It was a sad day for some after the hospital closed yesterday.
Employees gather after the last shift at SMH Spring Valley walks out.
