On this episode of Talk Line, host Brandon Clark sits down with Mick Welding of Morrison Community Hospital for an update on the hospital’s latest expansion, physician training efforts, and recent community events, plus a broader look at healthcare in the region.

A Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 5-Star rating is the highest possible score that it assigns to hospitals, placing Silver Cross among the top 12% of all eligible hospitals in the United States.

Illinois vaccination rates have seen a slight increase in 2025-2026 among students, despite growing vaccine skepticism around the country

Eleven additional red Naloxone distribution boxes were recently added, bringing the total number of boxes in Will County to 29.

More than 40 local organizations will be on site to offer insights into their programs at the June 3 event at the Lockport Township offices.

Sycamore Mayor Steve Braser is seeking to rally support for a proposed $11 million healthcare development that would modernize the former Sycamore Kindred Hospital building after the property’s former owners signaled opposition to the facility’s revival

Hantaviruses are a group of zoonotic viruses that infect rodents. The rodent transmits the virus to humans through their urine, droppings, saliva or – less commonly – their bites, according to the World Health Organization.

OSF HealthCare Saint Katharine Medical Center has been recognized as one of the nation’s cleanest hospitals, earning a 5‑star cleanliness rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

From Capitol News Illinois: The Illinois House advanced a bill that would regulate the maximum price certain prescription drugs can be sold for in the state

The new initiative's goal is to create a more informed and inclusive community for people living with dementia.

A Mendota woman was recognized for nearly four decades of service at OSF HealthCare as part of National Health Care Week.

A nurse at OSF HealthCare Saint Paul Medical Center in Mendota was recognized for providing compassionate care during a patient’s final moments.

Workplace violence against nurses is rising – and hospitals are scrambling to respond, according to northern Illinois healthcare workers and hospital leadership.

A Winnebago County resident who potentially had a North American strain of hantavirus tested negative, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The Whiteside Area Career Center’s Health Occupations students have earned a 100% pass rate on the Certified Nursing Assistant exam, according to a news release.

Ermira Ramadani, an intensive care unit nurse at OSF HealthCare Saint Katharine Medical Center in Dixon, has been recognized with a DAISY Award for providing extraordinary compassionate care for a patient and his family.

Hantavirus can spread through contact with rodent droppings. Here are ways to protect your property.

Besides those on the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius where a deadly hantavirus outbreak occurred, there is a suspected case in Winnebago County, where Rockford is located.

OSF Saint Katharine – Center for Health in Sterling continues to expand access to specialty care in Whiteside County with the addition of Dr. Andrew Feyh, a board‑certified general surgeon, and Taylor Carroll, a nurse practitioner bringing gastroenterology services to the clinic.

The annual "Chop Around the Clock" fundraiser has become a beloved tradition in Batavia. Barber Craig Foltos said it's about providing hope to all of the children and families being helped by Ronald McDonald House. He said the event shows "they are not alone."

Angela Roudis, a sixth-to eighth-grade teacher in the Cross-Categorical program at Coal City Middle School, said she’s worked with Gina Pens the last four years and called her “an amazing person who always puts others before herself.”

Prime Healthcare officials are touting the praise they’ve received from a state review board following criticism from union nurses, including one Joliet nurse who said the company’s actions are “death by a thousand cuts.”

Prime Healthcare has been in network with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois since buying up Illinois medical facilities, and they will remain in network after June 1.

The renovation of the new cafeteria, which will open Monday, May 11, marks the final phase of CGH Medical Center’s extensive hospital lobby renovation project that began in 2023.

Blue Cross patients in Illinois could soon find themselves out-of-network at Prime Healthcare facilities, such as Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, Mercy Hospital in Aurora, and Saint Mary Medical Center in Kankakee.

New research and Illinois doctors point to obesity, diabetes and smoking as key drivers behind a troubling rise in heart disease among younger adults

Members of the Illinois Nurses Association gathered outside Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet on Monday to express concerns about Prime Healthcare's management of that hospital and others in Illinois.

The Millie Moo Foundation in Hillsdale has been selected as the first-place recipient of the ninth annual Sterling Federal Bank Charity Challenge, earning the top award of $20,000 to support pediatric cancer families and fund agricultural scholarships.

New Lenox appears to be booming with 12 new businesses recently opening in the Will County village.

Debra Robbins, who received her bachelor of arts in journalism from the University of St. Francis in Joliet, has a long history of working in health care communications and came to her current role at Silver Cross in 2018.

Lone Star ticks have historically been found in the South and Eastern portion of the U.S., but have been rapidly migrating into the Midwest over the past few years, due to climate change and rising temperatures, health officials said

Riverside Healthcare seeks to have new direction for the former Bourbonnais Cigna property before 2026 ends.

Riverside Healthcare will demolish the former Cigna building on its Bourbonnais property, determining that restoration costs were too high.

Kye Petric, co-owner of In2gr8 Pediatric Therapy with Brittney Higgins, a licensed occupational therapist, said Higgins will start seeing patients on May 4.

The group meets on the fourth Thursday of every month from 4 to 5 p.m. at 351 Lily Cache Lane in Bolingbrook.

President Donald Trump on Thursday announced a deal with drugmaker Regeneron to lower the cost of its pharmaceutical products as part of the White House’s signature drug pricing initiative.

The Northwestern Medicine Grayslake Outpatient Center continues to evolve as one of Lake County’s most comprehensive neighborhood medical hubs, delivering academic-level care in a convenient, community-based setting.

OSF HealthCare Saint Katharine Medical Center is teeing up a new tradition that brings together fun, fellowship and philanthropy with the inaugural OSF Saint Katharine Golf Outing on July 9 at Timber Creek Golf Course in Dixon.

Attorneys representing Prime Healthcare, the company that owns St. Mary’s Hospital in Kankakee, filed a motion asking for sanctions against Kankakee County State’s Attorney's office.

House Bill 5225 would enable qualified speech-language pathologists to diagnose autism spectrum disorder if the child is under 3 years old and has no co-occurring medical conditions.

Proceeds from the annual Childerguild Ball, gift shop sales and club donations made the donation to the New Lenox hospital possible.

Riverside Healthcare has been strategically allocating capital spending toward PET/CT scanners, which use noninvasive imaging to detect a range of conditions.

OSF HealthCare is welcoming Chris Herbert to OSF Saint Katharine Center for Health – Sterling, where he will begin seeing patients April 23.

Regular foot care is essential for anyone living with diabetes, and daily foot checks can prevent small problems from turning into serious infections, according to OSF HealthCare podiatric surgeon Dr. Kyle Swanson.

Local physicians say loneliness, anxiety, and lifestyle shifts are contributing to long-term health risks for millennials

Regional Office of Education No. 47 held a symposium Friday, April 17, 2026, at Sauk Valley Community College for students aspiring to go into the health sciences.

Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers has renovated the former rehabilitation services suite at 100 Gore Road in Morris into medical offices, bringing additional services to a single location.

Prime Healthcare, the owner and operator of St. Mary's Hospital in Kankakee and others, has gained an OK to purchase another suburban hospital.

Doctors in northern Illinois say young adults often appear healthy but are increasingly impacted by overdoses, chronic disease, and stress-driven health issues

A $6,200 donation from the Utica Fireside White Sox CLub is helping improve emergency care training in La Salle and Bureau counties.