After taking over Allen County Regional Hospital (ACRH) in 2020, Saint Luke's Health System recognized many local residents were going outside of Allen County for their emergency care. Saint Luke's found way to bring Emergency Medicine board-certififed physicians, committed to rural health care, to the area that would help patients stay in Allen County for their Emergency care. 

Saint Luke's hired Innova Emergency Medical Association, and in July the group started caring for patients at ACRH.  

“Innova is uniquely focused on rural emergency services with board-certified physicians. They have the passion for rural healthcare, as well as national resources to bring in the best of the best,” said Steve Schieber, CEO for the Critical Access Region with Saint Luke’s and interim administrator for ACRH and Anderson County Hospital, in Garnett, KS. “These are physicians who are dedicated to rural health. They live in rural America, and they’re going to be contributing to the community when they are here,” Schieber said. 

Read Iola Register's full artilce: "ACRH: Goal is to keep ER patients here"