by David Schreiner

Wednesday afternoon I took 15 minutes out of the day and walked over to the Lee County courthouse to vote.  The short walk took much longer than the process of voting.  I was told that over 1,100 people have participated in early voting.  That was said to be significantly higher than prior years. Federal and State elected officials play a tremendous role in the way KSB Hospital operates.  Nearly 60% of KSB’s revenue comes from Medicare (Federal) and Medicaid (State). Get out and vote.  Take a few minutes between now and November 6 to exercise your constitutional right.  You have … Read More

How many of you believe you will die?  Someone said the only things certain are death and taxes.  If you live in Illinois, I’m pretty sure you’re getting more taxes. I’m also pretty sure you will die. The one thing that keeps the questions interesting is when. I had the opportunity recently to hear Ben Nemtin, New York Times bestselling author and creative influence behind the MTV series The Buried Life, tell his experience over the last ten years as he attempts to check off 100 items from his bucket list, all while helping others achieve their dreams.  You can … Read More

A significant event happened this week in downtown Dixon.  After being covered for over a quarter century, lettering proclaiming “Dixon National Bank” was unveiled once again.  Dixon National Bank was purchased by Amcore in 1992 and new signage was placed, covering the name.  Amcore was subsequently acquired by Midland States Bank in 2010.  KSB Hospital purchased the building in 2017 and immediately renamed the facility The Lovett Center. The historic corner building opened as Dixon National Bank in 1914 and was purchased by H.O. Lovett and his son, Donald R. Lovett, about 70 years ago. New signage will appear at the … Read More

If a picture says a thousand words, then there is some serious cuteness talking in these pictures.  These are photos from Thursday’s KSB Employee Celebration Event. Thanks to everyone from The KSB Family that makes our organization what it is… It’s The People!            

Making a bald guy wear a hair net seems cruel, but I persevered, and the tour of Dietary was worth the effort. Earlier this Summer the KSB Leadership Team began touring one department a week.  The official photographer for the event was Chief Legal Officer Suzanne Ravlin.  Every Monday we invade a different area, much to the panic of the full-time occupants. The conversations and learnings have been nothing short of exceptional.  Not only does it show our team how much we care, it also gives us the chance to listen and hear what is on our team member’s minds. … Read More

Smiles matter and the KSB Family lost a beautiful one recently with the passing of Mary Ann Shipman.  Mary Ann had a career at KSB Hospital that spanned 47 years.  Read that again… 47 YEARS!  Many of those years were served in the Dietary Department, where Mary Ann shared that smile with everyone that came her way. We work in a demanding business, and often a cheery word or a pat on the back matters.  Mary Ann was beautiful in distributing both. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Mary Ann’s family as well as her Dietary team and all … Read More

Exciting things are happening in KSB Hospital’s Obstetrics Unit.  Construction continues to improve the public space available to KSB’s newest patients, as well as moms and dads and family members.  A nutrition station has been added to make mom more comfortable, and the Nurses’ Station was rebuilt to improving access to our staff.   Improvements to the Nursery are in progress.  Coming attractions include an update to the hallways as well as remodeling the patient rooms. Here is where you come in. Physical improvements to the Obstetrics Unit are great.  That’s where the magic of birth happens.  How the magic happens … Read More

Our house recently acquired a puppy.  Please note that I did not say “bought” a puppy.  Our son, Andrew, bought a puppy. It seems as if there would be a big difference between us buying a dog and our son buying a dog. Not so much.  Odin is at our house. The penguin picture made me think of the way curiosity is at the leading edge of how young people, dogs, penguins, learn.  Odin is interested in everything.  He’s learning every second. When do we lose that hunger for curiosity?  How much greater could our impact on those we serve … Read More

I’m good at walking.  Assuming I started walking around 12 months of age, now I am 672 months of age, and guessing I have averaged a conservative 7,500 steps per day, that equates to 1,836,862,500 steps. I have walking down. I’m good at sending and receiving email.  Ray Tomlinson sent the first email in 1971.  Let’s assume that I was slow to catch on and didn’t launch my first email until 20 years later.  Assuming I have sent or received 100 emails per five-day week since 1991 that’s 702,000 emails. And that’s not even counting weekends. I have email down. … Read More