Insight acquires Blessing Health Keokuk

KEOKUK (WGEM) - Insight Institute announced on Monday that they have officially acquired Blessing Health Keokuk.

Insight said it is seeking federal and state regulatory approval to reopen the hospital as a new entity. They said they plan to continue serving southern Iowa.

“We may start with a Rural Emergency Hospital designation, but that doesn’t mean we will end up doing that long-term,” said Insight chief strategy officer Atif Bawahab. “We want to be adaptable and flexible in responding to the healthcare needs of the community, whether it’s the REH designation or other service lines, such as primary care or behavioral health.”

Insight said more information of the acquisition will be available in the next few weeks.

Keokuk City Administrator Cole O’Donnell said Insight has goals of providing more than emergency room care.

”They still have to do some different things with the building to get it ready, to secure some funds hopefully from the state, what they’re hoping for is to still have the facility at least the ER open by the end of this year, but again it all depends on what they can get for funding and other items,” O’Donnell said.

O’Donnell said that could include outpatient care.

According to Keokuk city officials, Insight, headquartered in Flint, Michigan, is a growing health network in the Midwest with surgical centers across Michigan, a hospital in Warren, Michigan, and a 400-bed acute care hospital in the heart of Chicago’s southside community.

RELATED: Insight signs letter of intent to acquire shuttered Keokuk Area Hospital

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