62-NURSE gets the ax

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STERLING - After nearly two decades, CGH Medical Center is dropping its popular, free medical hotline, 62-NURSE, the hospital announced Thursday. The six nurses who staff the 24-hour hotline answered 29,000 calls in 2008, the news release said - an average of about 558 a week. That's down from a peak of 35,000 a year in 1999, CEO Ed Andersen said. People call with questions about symptoms and medications, and to determine if they need a trip to the emergency room or their doctor's office. The service, launched in 1991, costs $500,000 a year to operate, mostly in staff salaries, Andersen said. It will end March 1 because of budget constraints, poor government reimbursement and the growing availability of health information on the Internet, the release said. Two-thirds of the city-owned hospital's business comes from state and federal Medicare and Medicaid patients, and government reimbursements for their care have been steadily declining, he said. The demise of 62-NURSE follows a national trend in which hospitals are shedding phone triage services to save money, Andersen said. CGH will try to find the nurses, who are all dedicated to the hotline, other duties, he said.

Need medical advice? Illinois residents can call62-NURSE (815-626-8773 or 800-626-8773) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week until March 1. After that, CGH Medical Center suggests these alternative sources of health information: