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“With the current staff they have and the services they’re adding, they will be close to capacity. We like to hear that — it means future expansion.”
— Kaley Frye, interim economic development corporation director
Officials say the city is making headway on a long-term goal of expanding healthcare services, with new staff, facilities and potential providers on the horizon.
According to Interim Economic Development Corporation Director Kaley Frye, the city’s ongoing contract with Ascension Seton Elgin Health Center has helped set the stage for more growth. She said she has met several times with Ascension representatives, including the team’s rural market director, to discuss what the future of care may look like for Elgin.
“We have made huge strides over the last five or six months, building new relationships with their folks,” Frye said. “[Ascension] has really committed to expanding services. We said we were looking for progress and consistency — something we could commit to the community and that they know they can count on to be there.”
Ascension Seton now has a board-certified family medicine physician available Monday through Friday, offering general healthcare services like check-ups, vaccinations and preventative care. The clinic is also adding a full-time advanced practice provider and has hired a lab technician to work weekdays with more robust testing technology.
“They’re expanding hours, recruiting talent and planning for future growth,” Frye said. “With the current staff they have and the services they’re adding, they will be close to capacity. We like to hear that — it means future expansion.”
Frye said Ascension has partnered with regional colleges to aid in recruitment. Longer-term plans include hiring a full-time cardiologist, adding pediatricians and eventually expanding OB-GYN services, though the latter remains limited because of a national shortage of providers, according to officials.
Beyond Ascension, Frye said other healthcare groups have purchased property in Elgin. Austin Regional Clinic has reportedly told city leaders Elgin is “next on the list” for expansion, and an urgent care facility has purchased property next door to ARC’s site.
“We’re also looking at different partnership arrangements with other healthcare providers in the region and working with developers,” Frye said. “It’s sort of a win-win situation.”
