Carle BroMenn Hospital

Since the masks came off most of society, a lot of people have been coughing, sneezing and getting aches and fever. And that's not counting those who get COVID-19. Last year, flu was almost non-existent. Lockdowns, masks, and other pandemic precautions meant people didn't make each other sick.

Like so many things, the practice of chaplaincy as it is typically understood was roadblocked by COVID mitigation measures. To avoid the spread of the virus, visitors were limited, personal protective equipment, scarce at first, was required, along with social distancing — all of which hamper a chaplain's ability to "show up and be there."

The head of emergency care at Carle BroMenn Medical Center in Normal says it appears the winter storm kept more people away from the hospital.

The latest COVID-19 surge is pushing hospitals like Carle BroMenn Medical Center to the brink.

The chief medical officer at Carle BroMenn and Carle Eureka hospitals says he doesn't see COVID-19 ever going away, but Dr. Jim Nevin says treatments will hopefully make it more manageable over time.

As coronavirus cases and hospitalizations rise again, health care workers feel the stress of a pandemic that's nearly 18 months old and shows no signs of ending.

Carle Health has announced it will require its employees to comply with greater safety measures if they choose not to get the COVID vaccine.

Bloomington-Normal has just over two hospital beds for every 1,000 people. In terms of bed capacity, the twin cities ranks among the lowest of any major metro area in Illinois.

The state of Illinois plans to close the COVID-19 testing site at the Interstate Center at the end of July.

The national conversation about medical compensation has been going on for years. The goal is to transition to a model where revenue comes more from keeping people healthy than from fee-for-procedures in treating specific illnesses. That transition is not complete, but some changes have come.