Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski Visits Carlinville Area Hospital & Clinics to Address Rural Healthcare Challenges

CARLINVILLE, IL — Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (D-IL) visited Carlinville Area Hospital & Clinics (CAH&C) on April 17, 2025, to learn more about the Hospital and to speak about the potential impacts of proposed Medicare and Medicaid cuts on rural hospitals and the communities they serve. She was joined by Brian Burnside, CAH&C President/CEO, CAH&C Board Members and Department Leaders, representatives from Illinois Hospital Association (IHA), Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network (ICAHN), South Central Hospital Alliance CEOs, and community members.

Following a tour of the hospital, Congresswoman Budzinski opened the healthcare conference by highlighting the urgent need to protect funding for rural healthcare providers. She emphasized the vital role that institutions like CAH&C play in ensuring access to quality care for rural residents.

Brian Burnside, President and CEO of CAH&C, provided an overview of the Hospital's vision and growth. He noted that CAH&C is more than just a Critical Access Hospital, it is a Comprehensive Rural Health System, offering over 20 medical specialties onsite. This allows patients in Carlinville and surrounding rural communities to receive high-quality specialty care close to home, without needing to travel to Springfield or St. Louis.

Burnside also shared exciting developments across Macoupin County, including the expansion of CAH&C's clinic network. The system most recently opened a new clinic in Virden, IL on March 31, 2025 to join with existing locations in Gillespie, Carlinville, and Girard. CAH&C is leading the way in transforming rural healthcare delivery through strategy and innovation. Initiatives include converting a Mobile Medical Unit into a permanent clinic in Virden, enhancing the Advanced Care Unit, leveraging telehealth with Tele-nocturnists and Intensivists, investing in workplace culture, and building strong collaborations through the South

Central Hospital Alliance (SCHA). CAH&C is also advancing care through a new data science partnership aimed at providing more services and improving patient outcomes.

Congresswoman Budzinski praised the hospital’s leadership and innovation, stating, “This is exactly what rural healthcare should look like — accessible, forward-thinking, and deeply committed to community health. CAH&C is a model for rural hospitals nationwide.”

She also addressed the serious threat that proposed Medicaid cuts pose to institutions like CAH&C, reaffirming her commitment to protecting funding that supports rural hospitals and the patients they serve. Attendees provided insight of what these cuts would mean to their facilities, the communities, the region.

Posted in News on Apr 25, 2025