SIHF Healthcare Begins Renovating Downtown Belleville Facility

SIHF Healthcare (SIHF) is a non-profit organization that provides healthcare services including physical, dental, mental, and behavioral care as well as other specialized programs. SIHF recently purchased and began renovating an underutilized facility in Downtown Belleville to enhance access to quality healthcare in Southern Illinois.

SIHF and its affiliate, Touchette Regional Hospital (TRH), were previously operating in the facility as tenants. They faced functional challenges due to the building’s original design, which was intended for multiple providers rather than a unified care system. The renovation plans will reconfigure the layout of the existing facility and allow SIHF to provide additional services including CT scanning, mobile MRIs, onsite testing, and physical therapy services.

Belleville, Illinois has witnessed a significant population decline, especially in recent years, drawing employers and service providers to leave the community. This was compounded in 2-17 when the Hospital Sisters Healthcare System (HSHS) relocated its St. Elizabeth’s Hospital from Downtown Belleville, resulting in a shortage of affordable and culturally responsive medical services in the area.

This low-income community’s markers of higher distress include the following:

• Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) for dental and mental health services
• 65% median family income
• 20% of individuals living in poverty
• 4.7% unemployment rate (0.87x the national average)

This project addresses an imperative need to provide accessible, quality healthcare to underserved residents in the Belleville area. This renovated facility will generate the following community benefits:

• 68 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) positions, offering an average wage of $40.63 per hour
• 100% of jobs offer comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, life, and disability insurance
• 401(k) match, tuition reimbursement, and travel emergency assistance
• On-the-job training programs and career advancement opportunities
• A projected 63,700+ clinic visits by Year 5 post-renovation
• A projected 5,400 prescriptions filled monthly
• Expanded primary care, pharmacy, and cardiology services to meet growing demand
• Addition of an Instacare walk-in clinic
• Deployment of community health workers and patient navigators

SIHF’s investment in this medical building marks the first phase of broader community revitalization efforts.

SIHF has garnered ongoing support from leaders and elected officials across local, county, state, and federal levels. Stakeholders remain deeply engaged in the initiatives to enhance healthcare aid throughout Downtown Belleville and the Metro East.

Touchette Regional Hospital will lease space within the newly renovated facility, and SIHF is collaborating with the MEDS group to ensure the availability of physicians and medical professional, further strengthening healthcare delivery.

SIHF is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHS) that provides comprehensive services to underserved communities across Southern Illinois. The organization collaborates with local health districts to ensure accessible, high-quality aid for residents most in need.

Impact Marketplace connects impactful organizations like SIHF Healthcare with Community Development Entities (CDEs) and investors to deliver measurable community outcomes through the New Markets Tax Credit program. Learn more at ImpactMarketplace.com.