IVCH loses tax-exempt status, notifies donors

The tax-exempt status of an area hospital, its parent company and its fundraising arm have been revoked by the Internal Revenue Service. Illinois Valley Community Hospital, IV Healthcorp, Inc. and the IVCH Foundation lost their tax exempt statuses after the necessary forms weren’t filed for several years according to IVCH Public Relations Director Gene Vogelgesang.

The hospital was contacted by the IRS in 2014 according to Vogelesang. IVCH officials found out that the required annual, tax-exempt forms for IV Healthcorp were last filed in 2010 and the forms for the foundation last filed in 2011.

Vogelesang says on December 31 they submitted the appropriate forms to apply for reinstatement of their tax-exempt status and retroactive reinstatement for the period of time it was revoked.

He says they have created policies and procedures to make sure that the oversight doesn’t happen again.

Vogelesang doesn’t believe this will affect their donors and says it hasn’t affected patient care.

If you have donated to the hospital and have questions, you’re asked to call the IVCH Foundation office.

First baby of the year for IVCH is a boy

Baby New Year arrived Friay at Illinois Valley Community Hospital in Peru. Ethan Thomas Van Houten was born just at 8:01am. His parents are Abigail and Nathaniel Van Houten of Streator.

He has a five-year-old sister waiting to greet him when he goes home.

IVCH to offer nitrous oxide to women during child birth

Child birth is known to be a painful process.  Women giving birth at Illinois Valley Community Hospital now have the option of receiving nitrous oxide to ease their pain.

IVCH Public Relations Director Gene Vogelgesang nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, is being made available starting this week.  The hospital’s nurses have been train on how to administer it.

Vogelgesang says most dentists already use the nitrous oxide as an anesthetic. He says IVCH is the first hospital in Illinois to offer it to patients and just one of about 50 hospitals nationwide.

Learn more about credit cards during a free workshop

You can’t buy a role toilet paper without someone trying to sign you up for a credit card. Should you say yes to their offer?

Learn more about credit card offers and how to read your monthly statement during a workshop Tuesday morning at the Peru Mall. The program is sponsored by Illinois Valley Community Hospital and State Comptroller Judy Barr Topinka.

The workshop begins at 10am in the IVCH storefront down the hall from Sear’s.

Free kidney disease screenings being offered Wednesday

Your kidneys are important, that’s why you shouldn’t wait until you’re experiencing kidney failure to be screened for kidney disease. Free kidney disease screenings are being offered Wednesday at the Peru Mall. The screenings and visit by the KidneyMobile are sponsored by the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois and Illinois Valley Community Hospital.

During the screening, you’ll have your blood pressure and blood sugar checked, you will be weighed and you’ll give a urine sample. A nurse will tell you if you have signs of kidney disease. Fernandez says the testing takes about an hour. You’ll also be able to tour the Kidney Mobile and learn more about what it does for the body.

The screenings are from 10am until 2pm in the IVCH Room near Jo-Ann Fabrics in the mall. It’s recommended that you schedule an appointment.