Pregnancy Care Center moves to new location as old St. Elizabeth’s demolition winds down
As the demolition of the former St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Belleville winds down, the hospital is wrapping up the relocation of services remaining downtown.
St. Elizabeth’s Hospital moved to O’Fallon in late 2017. In Belleville, St. Elizabeth’s is spending $12 million to demolish the hospital buildings and another $8.1 million to renovate its buildings at 180 S. Third St. and 311 W. Lincoln St. The large, main buildings have already been demolished and the work clearing the rubble is scheduled to be finished by the middle of the year.
In the latest move, the private, nonprofit Pregnancy Care Center recently relocated to the medical building at 180 S. Third St.
The Pregnancy Care Center previously was located across the street at 301 W. Lincoln St. but that building is scheduled to be torn down. The center receives free office space and utilities from St. Elizabeth’s.
Since 1983, the Pregnancy Care Center has assisted new and expectant mothers at no charge. The center offers pregnancy testing, counseling and all kinds of clothes and supplies for newborns and children up to age 5. Referrals for medical care, WIC, public aid and adoption services also are available.
When a new mom makes her first visit after giving birth, she is given the “most amazing” layette of all the stuff you need to care for a baby, said Kay Bennett, the group’s director.
Families can then visit the center once a month to get supplies such as diapers, pull-ups, pajamas, books and toys.
The all-volunteer service is open 2 to 5 p.m. on Monday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday.
“We would like more volunteers. We would be glad to have more,” said Gloria Schwartz, who has volunteered for about 25 years at the center.
The center, which is in Suite 50 in the lower level, also accepts donations.
“There’s a need out there for people who don’t have diapers, who don’t have the means to buy any of this stuff so we need to do what we can to help them,” Bennett said.
Bennett said she has volunteered for the group for around six years and she has been the director for about two years.
“All my life, I’ve been a pro-life person and so we can’t just keep saying, ‘Don’t get rid of your babies,’” she said. “We have to do something to help them when they decide to keep their babies. We need to be the support for them.”
How to help
Along with monetary donations, suggested donation items for the Pregnancy Care Center include:
Diapers and pull-ups
Clothing, from newborn up to age 5
Baby towels
Crib sheets
Baby wipes
Socks, booties and underwear
For more information, call 618-233-2273.
Renovation and demolition update
The building improvements at 180 S. Third St. and at 311 W. Lincoln St. include elevator, lobby and public restroom renovations, according to St. Elizabeth’s.
Also, $500,000 of equipment such as new X-ray and 3D mammography units were installed and a “micro market” was opened to expand food and beverage options.
By the time all the rubble is cleared from the site, the hospital will have about 22 acres to market in various parcels.
Demolition of the building at 301 W. Lincoln St. is scheduled to begin in late February and is expected to be completed this spring.
Downtown directory
Here is the latest lineup of services remaining in St. Elizabeth’s Hospital buildings in three sites in downtown Belleville:
180 S. Third St., Belleville
Heartland Women’s Healthcare, Suite 200
HSHS Home Care and Hospice Southern Illinois, Suite 405
HSHS Imaging Center, Suite 101
Offers walk-in X-ray services and 3D mammography. For appointments, call 618-222-4639.
HSHS Laboratory, Suite 102
Offers walk-in lab draws, no appointment necessary. Open Monday-Thursday 7am-Noon.
HSHS Outpatient Services, Suite 30 (have never closed at the Belleville location)
Offers physical therapy/occupational therapy, work conditioning, lymphedema, oncology wellness program, LSVT/Parkinson’s treatment, vestibular (inner ear disorders), hand therapy. For appointments, call 618-234-9152.
Pregnancy Care Center, Suite 50
Duk C. Kim, MD, Suite 100
SIHF Healthcare Convenient Care, Suite 103
Walk-in health services. SIHF’s space was expanded to 16 exam rooms from the four they had previously when the clinic was in the old hospital building. They have been open since the hospital moved, too.
SIHF Healthcare, Suite 104
A primary care office by appointment only
Additional HSHS clinical and support departments also located here include clinical education/staff development with four education classrooms that have movable walls separate the rooms allowing for flexibility in function based on need. Other staff includes information technology, accounting, health information management and cancer registry staff, CVO, the division business office, pre-access/registration department.
311 W. Lincoln St., Belleville
Mark S. Feldman, MD, Suite 100
Metro East Gastroenterology Ltd., Suite 101
Belleville Family Medical Associates Ltd., Suite 200
Two IT training rooms
224 W. Garfield St., Belleville
HSHS Southern Illinois Division executive leadership and support staff, and human resources
