Guest Speaker: Kevin Poorten

 

Even though the proposed merger of Kishwaukee Community Hospital with Northwestern Hospital's system still requires state and federal approval, the staff of each organization is already planning the details for integration of their respective system.

 

Kevin Poorten is CEO of KishHealth Systems, which he says has been courted by other health organizations before Northwestern took active steps to add them on.  He says KishHealth had been drawing attention from other health providers around the region, and even some from other states have been known to come by and see how certain procedures of theirs can be applied to their local hospitals.

 

Poorten says they have to wait until all interested government bodies sign off on the planned merger; if and when that happens, then integration can begin.  He says their inclusion in the Northwestern system will give local patients access to more sophisticated treatment when needed...much of it aimed towards hospitals to the east of DeKalb.