Amy Richter, Chairperson & Treasurer Hospice of Southern Illinois
Platinum:
Memorial Hospitals Belleville/Shiloh
Gold:
HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital
Mary Lamie, Chairperson Elect Bi-State Development
Silver:
Illinois American Water Company
Bronze:
Ameren Illinois Belleville Boot Company Belleville News-Democrat Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C.
Friends:
ALLSTAR Carpet & Upholstery Care Associated Bank AT&T Illinois Auffenberg Dealer Group Busey Bank Commerce Bank Eckert’s Inc. Essence Healthcare Gonzalez Companies, LLC Grey Eagle Distributors Kyle Lener - Allstate Insurance Agency Scott Credit Union Southwestern Illinois College TerraSource Global
Ryan Boike, First Vice Chairperson Belleville Public School District #118 Brett Baltz, Second Vice Chairperson Egyptian Workspace Partners Kevin Vick, Immediate Past Chairperson Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C.
Board of Directors
Lisa Adams, Adams Publications Jeff Bair, Grimm & Gorly Florist and POUR@322 Jeff Baker, Executive Freedom Partners Amy Gould, Illinois American Water Ericka Logan, Logan & Logan Mngt & Accounting Service Dan Lovekamp, Auffenberg Dealer Group of Illinois Brian Mentzer, Belleville Township High School Dist. #201 Alliance: Paula Nixon, Ameren Illinois Jessica Orelt, Baldree-Orelt Insurance Agency Kirk Schilling, Invelop LLC Laura Schrick, Mathis, Marifian & Richter Stephen Sedlak, Schmale Insurance Ron Stephens, Bank of Belleville John Ziegler, Memorial Hospital
EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS Chairman Mark Kern, St. Clair County Mayor Patty Gregory, City of Belleville Christine Spargur, Scott Air Force Base Jo Ann May, IL Small Business Development Center
CHAMBER STAFF Wendy J. Pfeil, President/CEO wpfeil@bellevillechamber.org Peggy Schifferdecker, Membership/Event Manager pschifferdecker@bellevillechamber.org Alex Mathews, Main Street Manager bms@bellevillechamber.org Cathleen Lindauer, Director, Belleville Tourism clindauer@bellevillechamber.org
Greater Belleville Chamber of Commerce 216 East A Street, Belleville,IL 62220 Phone: (618) 233-2015 Fax: (618) 233-2077 www.bellevillechamber.org
AMBASSADORS
SPECIAL PARTNERS
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Abbott EMS Air One Chiropractic Allsup, Inc Barb Davidson, Designated Managing Broker, Coldwell Banker Brown Realtors Bacon Farmer Workman Engineering & Testing, Inc. Bank of Belleville Belleville Area Special Services Cooperative Benedictine Living Community at the Shrine Bi-State Development BOS Metro East Banking Center Breakthru Beverage Group Cannon Utility Services, LLC. Chelar Tool and Die CliftonLarsonAllen, LLP Cooling Concepts Draft Kings at Casino Queen Estel Foods Inc. / McDonalds Empire Comfort Systems FCB Bank First Bank FKG Oil Company Hank’s Excavating & Landscaping, Inc. Holland Construction Services Hoyleton Youth and Family Services Jack Schmitt Family of Dealerships Knipp Roofing & Exteriors, Inc. Knollwood Retirement Community Lochmueller Group Mathis, Marifian & Richter, Ltd. McKendree University National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows Nothing Bundt Cakes pcs for people Print Master Serra Honda O’Fallon SIHF Healthcare Southern Illinois Builders Association Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Willowcreek Rehab & Nursing Center
Rebecca Boyer, Kaskaskia Engineering Group, LLC Justin Chapman, Busey Bank Lynne Clapp, Vertical Performance Terri Dambacher, CompuType IT Solutions Julie Fetters, First National Bank of Waterloo Cari Frick, Metro Lock and Security, Inc. Sharon Goff, Community Member Dean Hardt, City of Belleville Dennis F. Korte, Sr., Community Member Tracy McCollum, Standard Rule Promotions Dorothy Meyer, St. Clair County Lisa Phillipson, Hospice of Southern Illinois Joy Prigge, Dieterich Bank Leslie Schmidt, Abbott EMS Brandy Steely, Community Member Anne Thomure, Memorial Regional Health Services Jack Weck, Community Member Sheri Welch, Community Member Susan Wobbe, Community Member John Wunderlich, Community Member Sharon Zika, Scott Credit Union
ADVERTISE IN THIS PUBLICATION 2022 Advertising Rates Business Card: (3.5 x 2.5in)
$25 per month
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Ads must be received by the 15th of each month, electronically in JPEG or PDF form. Please call 618-233-2015 or email marketing@bellevillechamber.org to reserve your ad space.
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April 2022
COVER STORY
The Otto Golf Classic is an annual golfing event held for members and their guest of the Chamber. This is for all skill levels “from the professional to the novice. Many CEO’s often attend this fun filled day of golf and networking. Don’t be left out of the opportunity to network with other members. Date: 5/9/2022, Location: The Orchards The Chamber wants to thank Cooling Concepts , for once again being the Presenting Sponsor for the Otto Classic. We are looking forward to a fun day on the course and of even better weather. Your Chamber team will be reaching out to our members for sponsorship opportunities and golf teams. Opportunities are listed below. By supporting this event you help the Chamber to Continue our Mission, “Advancing Business, Supporting Community.”
The Chamber Connection
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EVENTS AND INFORMATION
Page 4
April 2022
CHAMBER NEWS
April 2022 Upcoming Chamber Events 4/5 4/7 4/11 4/12 4/14 4/15 4/19 4/20 4/21 4/21 4/22
Annual Dinner & Silent Auction Ribbon Cutting - All in 4 You Adult Daycare Ribbon Cutting - Weave & Wobble Coffee Cup Connections Healthcare & CSA Committee Meeting Chamber Office CLOSED - Good Friday Chamber Board of Directors Meeting Leadership Belleville Committee Meeting Ribbon Cutting - Eye on Design BMS - Diva Night Leadership Belleville Day
RSVP for events online at www.BellevilleChamber.org! Just click on the event you wish to attend and log-in. Need help? Email your RSVP to marketing@bellevillechamber.org or call 618-233-2015.
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MEMBERSHIP UPDATES
Welcome
to the following businesses and organizations who joined the Chamber in February
Allstate Insurance - Kyle Lener Belleville https://agents.allstate.com/kylelener-belleville-il.html
Thank you
Soulcial Kitchen 127 North Belt East | Swansea https://www.soulcialkitchen.com/
to the following members for renewing their membership with the Chamber in February
Ameren Illinois Bartle, Carol Bass Automotive Belleville Area Humane Society Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwestern Car-Tech Automotive Casa Maria Chelar Tool & Die, Inc. Cigar Inn Jazz Club, Inc. Eckert’s Inc. Firestone Complete Auto Care George Renner & Sons Funeral Home, Inc. Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois Grey Eagle Distributors Heartlands Conservancy Jack Schmitt Auto World Keils Clock Shop Marco’s Tavern on Main
McCulloughs Flooring Enterprise, Inc. Meckfessel Tire & Auto MedStar Ambulance, Inc. Metro Lock & Security, Inc. MidAmerica St. Louis Airport Ott’s Tavern Print Master Professional Therapy Services, Inc. PTL Manufacturing, Inc. Sonnenberg Landscape Materials Co. TerraSource Global The College of Governor French Thouvenot, Wade & Moerchen, Inc. Turkey Hill Grange Welch, Sheri Willowcreek Rehab & Nursing Center
For a complete list of our members, visit www.BellevilleChamber.org. For Membership Information, contact Peggy at 618-233-2015 or PSchifferdecker@bellevillechamber.org
Did you know the Chamber has a members-only event calendar? Submit your event online at www.BellevilleChamber.org and click “Calendar” to see the calendar and submit your event! All events will be featured in our Weekly Friday E-blast. Page 6
April 2022
Ribbon Cutting
Blanquart’s Rusty Gem
Blanquart’s Rusty Gems is a vintage pop up shop in Belleville, Illinois specializing in turning vintage items into repurposed or newer items.
Celebrating a new business opening, anniversary or remodel?
Celebrate with a Ribbon Cutting! Contact Peggy Schifferdecker, Membership/ Event Manager, for more info. Call the Chamber Office at (618) 233-2015.
LISTEN TO OUR MOST RECENT PODCAST Listen or watch twice a month as we help highlight, promote, and enlighten people, businesses, and community events in the Greater Belleville area. Find out more at
www.bellevillechamber.org The Chamber Connection
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CHAMBER NEWS pRESIDENT/ceo wENDY j pFEIL PARTICIPATES IN rEADY nATION’s rEPORT LOOKING TO bOOST wORKFORCE & ECONOMY THROUGH EARLY cHILDHOOD INVESTMENTS Recovery of our workforce and economy demands that Illinois pursue an expert, bipartisan plan for improving our early childhood system, a group of business leaders announced Friday.
A new report from the ReadyNation Illinois group points to the recommendations issued by the state’s Early Childhood Funding Commission nearly one year ago — a blueprint for strengthening access, equity, and quality in our system of early care and education. “Two years of pandemic pressures have worsened long-standing problems in child care and other early childhood supports — problems that affect children, working parents, their employers and our entire economy,” said Wendy Pfeil, President and CEO of the Greater Belleville Chamber of Commerce and a member of the nonprofit ReadyNation organization. “But the commission’s recommendations represent a good path forward, a good business plan, for resolving these challenges.” “Manufacturers have more than 800,000 open jobs across the United States, underscoring the significance of these issues,” said ReadyNation member Sarah Hartwick, Vice President of Education & Workforce Policy for the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “It will take years of investment, hard work, and commitment to realize the commission’s suggested improvements in the early childhood system that’s so critical to the stability and success of our workforce. The time to act is now, building on some important first steps our state has taken.” The report Early Care & Education: A Business Imperative reiterates extensive research demonstrating the economic significance of child care, preschool, and vital birth-to-3 services. High-quality services support the workforce of today by increasing employees’ attendance and productivity, as well as giving parents the peace of mind they need to fully engage in their jobs. Early care and education also shape the workforce of tomorrow by laying the skills foundation for academic and career success. Research shows that high-quality early learning opportunities develop both technical skills and “soft skills,” such as teamwork and perseverance. These programs are more important than ever, with State Board of Education data showing that only three out of 10 Illinois kindergartners were considered fully ready for school entry in fall 2019; the results were even more troubling for low-income students, children of color, and English learners. However, nagging deficiencies in programs’ access, quality and equity prompted Gov. Pritzker to appoint a bipartisan commission in late 2019, tasked with studying and suggesting improvements in our system of birth-to-5 services. Business leaders representing ReadyNation joined other partners in testifying at hearings and town-hall meetings in support of this effort. Among other things, the commission found our state is spending only about 14 percent of what’s truly needed for a fully funded early childhood system. Its recommendations called for an investment of far greater resources, in addition to consolidating the system’s multiple funding streams and governing agencies to improve focus and efficiency. “Now that we have this plan in hand, it’s crucial that we put it to good use,” said Ashley Villarreal, a ReadyNation member who is Executive Director of the Kankakee County Chamber of Commerce. “Delaying action means tapping the brakes on our own economic recovery at a time when our workforce and employers need help the most.” Indeed, ReadyNation’s research shows that — even before the pandemic — child care challenges were costing Illinois’ economy about $2.4 billion annually: costs related to workers’ foregone earnings, employers’ reduced productivity, and other factors. And this price tag accounted only for problems emanating from insufficient infant-and-toddler care. The good news is, Illinois has taken some early steps toward improvement. In addition to important, short-term measures to preserve child care during the pandemic, fueled by federal pandemic-relief dollars, the state recently launched a Birth-to-Five initiative of regional-planning councils to identify local needs and discuss ways of meeting them. Further momentum is necessary, ReadyNation members said, including top priority on improving the compensation of early childhood teachers and staff — a significant “workforce behind the workforce.” Low pay and benefits have too long undermined the quality and stability of services. To this end, ReadyNation has joined several allies in requesting a 10-percent increase in resources for key, early childhood programs as part of the state’s FY23 budget. These include not only preK and child care, but two sets of birth-to-3 services: voluntary, homevisiting programs that offer “coaching” help to new and expectant parents, and Early Intervention therapies for youngsters with developmental delays or disabilities. Such an FY23 increase would serve as a “down payment” toward further realizing the commission’s long-term vision for early childhood system improvements, said ReadyNation members, who also recently testified before the Illinois Future of Work Task Force on these topics. Joining ReadyNation report release was George Davis, former human services director for the City of Rockford, who co-chaired the 29-member Early Childhood Funding Commission.
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April 2022
MEMBER UPDATES McKendree University Receives Prestigious Grant to Aid in Vaccine Confidence McKendree University’s Division of Nursing is one of only ten institutions of higher learning in the nation to have recently been awarded a $70,000 grant to participate in the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s (AACN) latest campaign. AACN will be using their-recently awarded $1 million in funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to launch their new initiative, Building COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence Among Nurses and in Communities, which will tackle health misinformation while bolstering confidence in the COVID-19 vaccines. As part of this project, AACN awarded funding to 10 schools of nursing nationwide to launch these targeted campaigns. McKendree’s Division of Nursing will begin implementing this new strategy this spring. With strong partnerships, including the Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network (ICAHN) and the Southern Illinois Public Health Consortium, which is comprised of 38 health departments in central and southern Illinois, McKendree will be focusing their messaging in particular on rural areas. The University has also teamed up with four community colleges to implement this strategy, including Kaskaskia College in Centralia, Ill., Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC) in Belleville, Ill., Southeastern Illinois College in Harrisburg, Ill., and John A. Logan College in Carterville, Ill. “We are so proud and fortunate to have been chosen for this opportunity and to have such strong partnerships to help us build vaccine confidence within central and southern Illinois,” said Dr. Janice Albers, assistant professor and director of MSN programs at McKendree University. “This is also a huge benefit to our students because they will gain valuable experience through some of these partnerships in our nursing programs. It’s truly a win-win situation.” All four nursing programs at McKendree, including their RN to BSN program, MSN program, DNP program and MHA program, will be participating in this new implementation with a two-fold plan. First, the Division of Nursing will help the Southern Illinois Public Health Consortium to develop a customizable social media toolkit, which can be outfitted to the needs of various rural areas. This toolkit will provide a consistent message about vaccine confidence to targeted areas in the hopes of eliminating misinformation. Secondly, students in the nursing programs at McKendree and in the four partnered community colleges will benefit through learning via two virtual escape rooms, in which they will learn about vaccine confidence, answer questions and gain a certificate upon successful completion. “Virtual escape rooms are a different means of learning,” said Dr. Richelle Rennegarbe, chair of McKendree’s Division of Nursing program. “We’ve had a great deal of success with virtual escape rooms, and they’re just a fun way for everyone to learn.”
In addition to their strong, longstanding community partners and the innovation of using virtual escape rooms as a way to learn, McKendree also offers a population health program within their Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree. “For today’s nursing leaders, healthcare is so much more than providing quality care. It’s about educating those in their communities and working together with public health organizations to prevent disease in the first place,” Dr. Rennegarbe said. “Our population health track blends courses in education and leadership to transform nurses and health administrators into people who can shape the future of healthcare.” In addition, the Division of Nursing was recently awarded with a $750,000 endowment scholarship - the Diana
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The Chamber Connection
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MEMBER SUBMITTED ARTICLE What Employers Should Know About a New Illinois Law on Health Plan Disclosure By Jeffrey A. Herman Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C. Illinois passed the Consumer Coverage Disclosure Act (CCDA) in 2021. In a nutshell, the CCDA requires all employers to send employees a notice comparing their health benefits to a list of the state of Illinois’ Essential Health Benefits (EHBs). Depending on the size of the employer and how the law is interpreted, the civil penalties for non-compliance could run anywhere from a nuisance fee to astronomically high. Even more problematic, the CCDA may not be enforceable at all against most private employers, as the law may be preempted by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). But no court has ruled on this issue … at least not yet. This article answers basic questions about what the CCDA does and the options employers have, considering the law’s unsettled status. Q: What does the CCDA require? A: The CCDA requires employers with “group health insurance” to provide a disclosure to all its eligible employees showing which of the state’s EHBs are covered benefits in the employer’s health plan. To create a compliant employee disclosure, employers will have to look up the scope of each EHB, compare it to the coverage provided in the employer’s plan, and indicate either “No” (meaning the EHB is not a covered benefit), “Yes” (it is), or “Yes, partially” (explaining how the benefit is partly covered). Creating a compliant form will require some expertise in reading and interpreting health benefits and health plans, and it may be somewhat time-consuming. Q: What are the EHBs? A: The Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) recently released a sample compliance form identifying all the EHBs that must be compared. There are 42 benefits in 10 categories. The EHBs are not necessarily required to be covered by a health plan. Whether they are depends on a plan’s insured status (fully insured v. self-funded) and the size of the employer. IDOL simply tells employers to consult an attorney if they want to know what EHBs are actually required. The disclosure may lead to considerable confusion for employees. For each “No” or “Yes, partially” response, employees may believe their employers are breaking the law or providing substandard coverage. But there may absolutely nothing requiring the employer to provide the benefit, and the employer’s plan may provide superior benefits in other categories not included in the state’s EHBs. Q: When and how does the disclosure have to be provided? A: The disclosure must be made to an employee when hired, annually, and upon request. The law does not specify a timeframe following each event in which the disclosure must be made. This makes it unclear at what point the failure to disclose actually becomes a violation of the CCDA. Fortunately, in addition to in person or via email, the disclosure may be provided to employees by simply posting it on a website they can access. Q: If an employer has more than one coverage option, how many forms have to be completed? A: It is not clear. Employers often have multiple coverage options. Each may cover different benefits or at different levels. If the different options can be adequately represented on a single form, then a single form is likely sufficient. But the differences among the options may become so significant that, at some point, it would be impracticable to try to represent that information in a single form, and separate forms will need to be created. Q: Will health insurance companies complete the form for employers? A: The CCDA is directed at employers. It does not apply to health insurers, and insurers are not required to help. While insurance companies, brokers, third-party administrators, or other service providers may help an employer comply with the law (particularly a larger employer with leverage), many employers (especially smaller employers) may find that their insurers and service providers are not willing to help them, making compliance even more challenging. The employer will have to create it in-house or hire a third party (such as an attorney) to draft the disclosure.
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April 2022
MEMBER SUBMITTED ARTICLE Q: What are the penalties for non-compliance? A: IDOL may assess civil penalties against an employer as follows: · Employers with three or fewer employees: up to $500 for a first “offense,” $1,000 for a second, and $3,000 for a third. · Employers with four or more employees: up to $1,000 for a first offense, $3,000 for a second, and $5,000 for a third. The CCDA states that the civil penalty shall take into account “the size of the employer, the good faith efforts made by the employer to comply, and the gravity of the violation.” Q: That doesn’t sound too bad … right? A: Well, it could be bad. The law is vague enough that IDOL could assert that a separate penalty may be assessed for each employee who fails to receive a notice when required, as well as for each separate coverage option the employee is eligible for, which could lead to enormous potential penalties. It appears IDOL has privately expressed its opinion that it would view all violations in a single year as one “offense,” but no official guidance or actions consistent with that position have been made. Hopefully, IDOL will soon publicly clarify how penalties will be calculated under the CCDA so employers can better understand the risks of non-compliance. Q: How are violations and penalties determined? A: IDOL has the right to conduct investigations of violations. IDOL will first notify an employer and ask it to demonstrate compliance with the CCDA. If the employer fails to do so, IDOL will issue a notice to show cause “giving the employer 30 days to comply.” In other words, an employer gets 30 days to fix what the alleged violations. Which is good! If the employer does not comply within 30 days, IDOL can impose a penalty after conducting a hearing on the matter. The employer has the option of appealing IDOL’s imposed penalty, while IDOL has the option of filing a lawsuit to collect the penalty. And, of course, given the likelihood of ERISA preemption, an employer could file a lawsuit in federal court seeking to enjoin the state from enforcing the law against sponsors of ERISA plans. Q: What is ERISA preemption? A: ERISA is a federal law that governs employee benefits, from retirement plans to health plans, and almost everything in between. Section 514 of ERISA (29 U.S.C. § 1144) contains a special “preemption” provision. It states that the provisions of ERISA “shall supersede any and all State laws insofar as they may now or hereafter relate to any employee benefit plan.” This means states cannot pass or enforce laws that “relate to” employee benefits governed by ERISA. ERISA preemption typically plays out in federal court, where federal judges determine the boundaries of what states can and cannot do. There is a rich history of opinions delineating those boundaries. Q: Is the CCDA preempted with respect to ERISA health plans? A: IDOL has taken the position that the CCDA is not preempted, stating in its FAQs: Because the Consumer Coverage Disclosure Act creates a benefits notification requirement for all Illinois employers, regardless of the type of insurance they provide, and does not mandate insurance provisions or otherwise have any direct impact on employerprovided group health insurance coverage, employers who provide self-insured plans and/or ERISA plans are subject to the provisions of the Act. This is probably not a winning argument. ERISA already extensively governs disclosures that are required to be given to participants in health plans. The CCDA interferes in ERISA’s extensive regulation of plan disclosures. The Supreme Court’s words in a 2016 case—concerning a Vermont law that required plans to disclose certain data to state authorities—seem to apply equally well to the CCDA: The State’s law and regulation govern plan reporting, disclosure, and—by necessary implication—recordkeeping. These matters are fundamental components of ERISA’s regulation of plan administration. Differing, or even parallel, regulations from multiple CONT TO PAGE 12
The Chamber Connection
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MEMBER SUBMITTED ARTICLE CONT FROM PAGE 11 jurisdictions could create wasteful administrative costs and threaten to subject plans to wide-ranging liability. … Preemption is necessary to prevent the States from imposing novel, inconsistent, and burdensome reporting requirements on plans. The Secretary of Labor, not the States, is authorized to administer the reporting requirements of plans governed by ERISA. He may exempt plans from ERISA reporting requirements altogether. … And, he may be authorized to require ERISA plans to report data similar to that which Vermont seeks, though that question is not presented here. Either way, the uniform rule design of ERISA makes it clear that these decisions are for federal authorities, not for the separate States. Gobeille v. Liberty Mut. Ins. Co., 577 U.S. 312, 323–24 (2016). Q: So, what should employers do? A: There are two basic options: (1) comply now; or (2) wait and see. Complying now is the least risky option, but it may be a little expensive and burdensome to create a compliant form, particularly for an employer that is not getting help from its insurer or other service provider. The wait-and-see approach has some advantages. Even if IDOL notifies an employer of a violation, the employer would have 30 days to try to comply (in which case no penalty would be imposed), and/or decide to fight it. It is also possible that, in the meantime, a court may rule that the law is preempted (or that it is not). This option is not without risk, however, as it may be difficult complying with the law under a tight timeframe, and the potential penalties could be high, depending on IDOL’s interpretation. But a wait-and-see approach is not unreasonable, given the likelihood that the law is preempted, the ability to comply within 30 days if notified of a violation, IDOL’s private statement that it will view all violations in a year as a single “offense,” and the time and expense of complying. Of course, for an employer that sponsors a health plan that is not governed by ERISA, such as a church plan or governmental plan, the analysis is simpler, because there is no preemption argument. For these plans, it is advisable to comply with the CCDA now.
Celebrate Spring with the SWIC Plant Sale in April Dig out your gardening tools – it’s spring! The SWIC Horticulture program is selling reasonably priced water and vegetable plants, tropicals, perennials, annuals, and herbs grown by SWIC students over the winter. You can get your green thumbs (and fingers) on these plants at the annual Plant Sale April 21-23 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the SWIC Belleville Campus, 2500 Carlyle Ave. The sale will be held in the greenhouse, located on the southeast corner of campus behind the baseball fields. “Horticulture students play a major role in growing and nurturing these healthy, hardy plants throughout the semester,” said SWIC Horticulture Program Coordinator Kurt Range. “They get to see their hard work pay off by selling these beautiful, hardy plants.” Only cash and check payments will be accepted. Proceeds benefit the Horticulture program.
Adams Publications, Inc. Magazines, Directories, Brochures, PrograMs, Writing, eDiting & More John Wunderlich Account Manager
Adams Publications, Inc. phone: 618-410-5308 5343 Belleville Crossing St., PMB 44 john@marketplacemagazineonline.com Belleville,The Ill. 62226 www.marketplacemagazineonline.com
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(618) 210-3626 cell; (618) 416-1839 office lisa.adams@marketplacemagazine.biz
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Face masks and social distancing are recommended. For more information about the plant sale contact Kurt Range at 618235-2700, ext. 5135 or kurt.range@swic.edu. Page 12
April 2022
MEMBER UPDATES Holland Construction Services Promotes Rob Ruehl to Project Executive Holland Construction Services President Mike Marchal is pleased to announce the promotion of Rob Ruehl to Project Executive. Ruehl has been with Holland since 2017 and has showcased his determination and work ethic on a multitude of projects. “Rob has been a tremendous asset to us and our clients over the past five years,” said Marchal. “I am very proud of the work he has done and the professional growth I’ve seen in him. We’re looking forward to seeing his continued success leading teams as a Project Executive.” With more than two decades of experience in the industry, Ruehl has been a part of major projects at Holland including Keystone Place Senior Living, The Villages of Twin Oaks, The Flats at Dorsett Ridge, and Heartland View Apartments. “I am looking forward to the opportunity to assist in guiding and growing our multifamily market and continue where we are strong and continue to grow our team,” Ruehl said. In the new position, Ruehl will be bringing his short and long-term strategic thinking skills to the management team. As Project Executive, Ruehl will identify market opportunities, build and maintain relationships, guide the preconstruction process on multi-family projects, negotiate contracts, and focus on the growth of his teammates. Ruehl received a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and Construction Management from the University of Illinois UrbanaChampaign.
eXTRAORDINARY nURSE RECOGNIZED AT MEMORIAL Kerry Harbour, RN, has been honored with The DAISY Award® For Extraordinary Nurses. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation’s programs to recognize the super-human efforts nurses perform every day. Harbour is a nurse in the cardiac catherization lab at Memorial Belleville. She has worked at Memorial since 2017, initially at Memorial Shiloh before transferring to the Belleville campus. Nominated by a patient, Harbour was recognized for her compassion, exceptional skills and making the patient feel at ease. “She made me feel everything was going to be okay. She explained everything that was going on and what to expect, while adding a little humor.” It was obvious she truly cared about my well-being,” the patient said in their nomination. “Kerry was there from the first moment of my stay until shortly before my discharge when she visited me in my room. I’m thankful she was there.” The patient, who served many years in the military, said he’d never seen a more cohesive team. “They were like a single organism flawlessly completing a task.” Her supervisor Stephanie Degeare noted that Kerry is an incredibly engaged and compassionate person and that translates into how she cares for her patients. “She has the innate ability to put people at ease and connect them when are in a frightening and unfamiliar situation,” Degeare added.
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Edward S. Bott, Jr. Belleville, IL John H. Chassaing Belleville, IL Thomas F. Hennessy, III Swansea, IL Paul E. Petruska Belleville, IL Garrett C. Reuter, Jr. Belleville, IL William A. Schmitt Waterloo, IL Donald K. Schoemaker Shiloh, IL Kurt S. Schroeder Shiloh, IL Russell K. Scott Belleville, IL L. Kevin Vick Belleville, IL Donald E. Weihl Belleville, IL Andrew V. Wolkiewicz Waterloo, IL
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April 2022
MEMBER UPDATES IMPACT Strategies completes construction on rehabilitaion institute of southern illinois IMPACT Strategies has completed construction on the new The Rehabilitation Institute of Southern Illinois, a one-story, 40bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital on Frank Scott Parkway in Shiloh, Illinois. The hospital will operate as a joint venture between Encompass Health and BJC HealthCare and began caring for patients in February. Encompass Health selected IMPACT Strategies to manage the construction of the new 48,000 squarefoot facility, conveniently located adjacent to BJC HealthCare’s Memorial Hospital Shiloh campus. IMPACT broke ground on the $15.5 million project in January 2021 and completed construction on schedule in 12 months. Gresham Smith was the architect for the project. The new hospital offers physical, occupational, and speech therapies as well as 24-hour nursing care to patients recovering from major illnesses and injuries including stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury, amputation, and complex orthopedic conditions. The specialized facility features 40 private patient rooms, a spacious therapy gym with advanced rehabilitation technologies, kitchen, dining room, pharmacy, dialysis room, and therapy courtyard. “As we look to expand and build upon our healthcare construction expertise, we are proud to have completed our first project for Encompass Health, and to support them in bringing acute rehabilitation services to southwestern Illinois,” said Mark Hinrichs, President of IMPACT Strategies.
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MEMBER UPDATES hshs illinois division offering nursing scholarships up to $20,000 Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) Illinois Division recently announced a scholarship opportunity for students pursuing a career in nursing. The HSHS Scholars program is open to qualifying students attending an accredited nursing program. Students can earn up to $20,000 of funding for educational expenses. In addition to financial help, recipients will have a job upon graduating and passing boards in an HSHS Illinois Division hospital. “St. Elizabeth’s and the other HSHS ministries in Illinois have many education and career development programs with partners in our area. This scholarship is another way we can support nursing students and continue to develop a strong, highly-competent workforce for our hospitals and patients,” said Regina Peterson, DNP, RN, chief nursing officer at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in O’Fallon, IL. Interested students can apply at hshs.org/ILnursingscholarship. The deadline to apply is May 1, 2022. Applications are reviewed upon submission and top candidates are chosen for interviews. Applicants should have an interest in working in a HSHS Illinois Division hospital as an RN upon graduation/ passing boards. “I recommend applying for the HSHS scholarship program because it is a great way to help pay for school and also gives you a head start in starting your career in nursing,” said Ciarra Marreo, RN, a recent recipient of HSHS Scholars funding. “Once graduating, the anxiety you feel preparing for the NCLEX and searching for a job is intense. This scholarship ensures that you have a job in your desired specialty after graduation and the residency program is very beneficial in helping new grads grow. HSHS is a multi-institutional health care system that cares for patients in 14 communities in Illinois and Wisconsin. With 9 hospitals in Illinois, scores of community-based health centers and clinics, nearly 2,300 physician partners, and more than 13,000 colleagues, HSHS is committed to its mission “to reveal and embody Christ’s healing love for all people through our high-quality Franciscan health care ministry. For additional questions about the HSHS Scholars program, email ILscholarships@hshs.org. For other career opportunities in a wide range of clinical and non-clinical positions, visit www.careers.hshs.org.
Holland Construction Services Raises $25,000 for Two Local Nonprofits Money raised at Annual Klondike Klassic Golf Charity Event Holland Construction Services is proud to announce their charitable foundation raised $25,000 total at its annual winter golf charity event, the Klondike Klassic. The money will benefit two local nonprofit organizations, Leaps of Love and Fore Honor Foundation. Both charities took home a $12,500 check to help support their causes. “It is phenomenal to raise money for two very deserving organizations and I’m so proud of the hard work our team puts into this each year,” said Holland Construction Services President Mike Marchal. “We really accomplished something together on this special and heartwarming day. We have family members in the military, so the Fore Honor Foundation’s mission of honoring our servicemen and women hits close to home. Leaps of Love is also doing great things to help support local families and is an organization that our employees connected with." Leaps of Love is based out of Highland, IL and strives to help families impacted by late effects of childhood cancer and childhood brain tumors. They offer support services through retreats, events, and outings to provide hope, strength and encouragement. Fore Honor Foundation is a golf course and venue in the St. Louis area that provides a place of healing and caring for military veterans, active military, fire & rescue, police, emergency responders and gold star families. Their mission is to provide a membership for local heroes to thank them for their service. With this donation they hope to create wellness programs to help those suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury. Since its inception in 1989, the Klondike Klassic has raised over $250,000 for local charities. In 2015, Holland created the Holland Employee Charitable Foundation (HECF). The organization is employee run and driven with the mission of helping others in the community through donations and volunteering. The HECF has helped make the Klondike Klassic an annual event, with funds raised going towards a local organization voted on annually by the seven member Foundation Advisory Committee.
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MEMBER UPDATES holland construction services completes upscale apartment complex in maryland heights, missouri Holland Construction Services has completed The Flats at Dorsett Ridge, a new $45 million, 214-unit luxury apartment complex in Maryland Heights, one-half mile west of the I-270 and Dorsett intersection. The project was developed by Pier Property Group and is now leasing. Developer Michael Hamburg, owner of Pier Property Group, said this is his third project with Holland Construction Services and he is looking forward to working with them in the future. “Holland’s experience and expertise in building mid-rise luxury apartments shone through every step of the way on this project,” Hamburg said. “Their team takes a very process-oriented approach to their work, and they are excellent at problem-solving through any situation. This is a really challenging construction market right now but being able to have a team like Holland to rely on provides a ton of confidence going forward.” Holland Construction Services is also working with Pier Property Group to complete the new Mill Creek Flats development in Midtown St. Louis which is expected to be finished within the next few months. The company also recently broke ground on the Flats at Wildhorse Village in Chesterfield, MO, which has a scheduled completion date of summer 2023. Hamburg said he is also working with Holland on their next venture in Midtown St. Louis, a 199-unit building with a Target store on the ground floor. “We’re very proud of the relationship and the work we’ve been able to accomplish with Pier Property Group over the last few years,” said Project Executive Rob Ruehl. “Our team worked hard to ensure The Flats at Dorsett Ridge was completed on time and under budget which is a testament to the seamless way we worked together. These types of wood-frame projects are an area of expertise for us, so we’re excited for future opportunities with this developer.” The Flats at Dorsett Ridge is a four-story, 236,000 sq. ft development. It includes a resort-style pool, outdoor game surface, grilling stations, state-of-the-art fitness center with yoga/cycling room, dog park, dog spa, business center, bike storage, and expansive balconies. Units have efficient floor plans, unobstructed views, fiber wireless internet, and highend finishes, such as stone countertops, stainless steel appliances, tile shower surrounds, and custom flooring. The development also features a 315-car parking deck on the back of the site. FitzGerald Associates architects and planners of Chicago partnered with Remiger Design of St. Louis on the design of the project.
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MEMBER UPDATES hshs announces appointment of hshs st. elizabeth’s hospital president and ceo HSHS announced the appointment of Chris Klay to serve as President and CEO of HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in O’Fallon, IL. Klay currently serves as President and CEO of HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Breese, IL. He will begin his new role on May 1, 2022. “I am honored for the opportunity to join the dedicated colleagues, medical staff members, and volunteers of St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in their successful work and look forward to serving the metro east community,” said Klay. “Founded on our Franciscan traditions and Hospital Sisters’ core values of Care, Competence, Joy, and Respect, St. Elizabeth’s is a leader in delivering high-quality health care in the region and I am excited to support and advance this legacy.” Since joining HSHS in 2009, Chris was been responsible for various aspects of hospital operations in our western Wisconsin hospitals, including inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services, wound care, sleep lab, and respiratory therapy. At St. Joseph’s Hospital, Chris has improved colleague engagement outcomes, increased net patient revenue, expanded telemedicine services, increased market share and implemented growth strategies including a new outpatient surgery center, a general surgery clinic and a primary care clinic. He also generated an increase of over $11 million from fiscal year 2020 to fiscal year 2021 due to effective provider recruitment, operational volumes and expenses management. “Chris has shown to be a proven leader in the HSHS, serving in both Illinois and Western Wisconsin Divisions, and we look forward to him bringing his leadership skills to St. Elizabeth’s,” HSHS Illinois Division Interim President and CEO Therese Pandl said. “His experience in patient-centered care and collaborative leadership practices demonstrates a true commitment to our HSHS Mission.” Klay received his Master of Healthcare Administration from Ohio University and his Master of Arts in Physical Therapy from the College of St. Scholastica. He completed a fellowship with the Advisory Board Company in Healthcare Executive Leadership in 2015, and is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
IMPACT Strategies Begins Renovations at World Wide Technology Raceway IMPACT Strategies has started construction on a complete interior and exterior renovation of the Oval Tower Suites at World Wide Technology Raceway. The project includes improvements to the entire building, including the rooftop viewing experience and is part of the multi-million-dollar renovation plan for the track leading up to the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series race on June 5, 2022. “Offering our corporate clients an exceptional hospitality option to entertain customers and employees within the broader NASCAR Cup Series race environment will be a one-of-akind experience,” promises Curtis Francois, owner and CEO, World Wide Technology Raceway. The renovation will deliver a sleek, modern aesthetic with high-end finishes throughout the 28 private suites and the rooftop fan viewing area, which offers an exhilarating perspective over the track between turns one and two. “We are thrilled to once again be working with World Wide Technology Raceway on this exciting and fast-paced project,” said Mark Hinrichs, President at IMPACT Strategies. “We’re proud to support the raceway’s efforts in bringing a NASCAR Cup Series race to the St. Louis region and to continue our valued partnership with them. ” Since 2013, IMPACT Strategies has completed multiple projects at World Wide Technology Raceway, including the Gateway Kartplex, drag strip bleachers, track resurfacing and safety improvements, and other improvements to raceway facilities.
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CALLED to
®
Yes, the pandemic came to our hospital. So we showed it who we are. We are Called to Care. Thank a health care worker at steliz.org/calledtocare.
The Chamber Connection
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MEMBER UPDATES Keep Belleville Beautiful, April 9, 2022 The BASIC Initiative, in partnership with the City of Belleville, will host Keep Belleville Beautiful, a city-wide litter pick up event on Saturday, April 9 from 9 a.m. to noon. “We are very excited to bring back Keep Belleville Beautiful to allow the entire community the opportunity to get involved to make an impact on beautifying our city,” said BASIC Initiative Board President Becca Boyer. The event was canceled due to the pandemic for the past two years. “We know this initiative not only cleans up our city, but it helps educate everyone on the importance of not littering, of working together, and of giving back.” Visit www.BASICbelleville.org for more information and to sign-up to volunteer. The first 250 participants to sign-up will receive a free t-shirt
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World-Class Expertise is Memorial Hospitals are proud to be part of BJC HealthCare, which connects us to the area’s top specialists from BJC Medical Group of Illinois, Siteman Cancer Center, and Washington University Physicians in Illinois, Inc. Memorial offers focused, coordinated care from our experts in breast health, orthopedic care, and heart care. When you need world-class expertise, it’s right here where you live.
memhosp.org