OSF pauses move of OB-GYN services from Ottawa to Peru

OSF HealthCare has temporarily postponed plans to move inpatient OB-GYN services from OSF Saint Elizabeth Medical Center in Ottawa to its Peru hospital.

On Wednesday, OSF said OB-GYN services will continue at OSF Saint Elizabeth in Ottawa for now.

OSF said the delay stems from the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board taking extra time to review the application, including concerns raised by residents in eastern La Salle County.

OSF is working to prepare OB-GYN services in Peru while keeping care available in Ottawa until the board acts.

The new intensive care unit and full medical/surgical units in Peru still are set to open Aug. 18.

Plans for intermediate-care beds in Ottawa have been put on hold, and ICU services there will continue until the board meets in November.

OSF said families across the area will continue to have access to coordinated care close to home. Services include prenatal and postnatal care, maternal-fetal medicine consultations, women’s health visits, pediatric care, behavioral health and virtual care options.

“This regional approach ensures that no matter where a patient enters our ministry – whether at Ottawa, Peru, another town or through virtual care – they will receive the same compassionate, mission-driven care and be connected to the right services at the right time,” Dawn Trompeter, president of OSF Saint Elizabeth, said in a statement.

For more information about services available in the Illinois Valley, visit OSF’s website.