Carle Physicians Return to Monticello’s Kirby Hospital

A ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday marks the return of Carle physicians to the Kirby hospital campus in Monticello.

Carle had a building on the old Kirby hospital grounds for years, until a business dispute between the two forced Carle to move into temporary buildings. But a new agreement was reached, and a new building next to the new Kirby Medical Center should be fully open by Monday. Carle Monticello medical director, Dr. Steven Sparenberg, says being neighbors with the hospital again will be a plus for their patients.

"The community's going to have the benefit from having everything in one location for both in-patient and obviously for out-patient services," he said. "It helps keep medical care closer to home, and we have the support of the radiology and lab services through Kirby Medical Center."

Sparenberg says the new Carle building offers twice as much room as the temporary buildings they used. And he says it provides room for visiting specialists, as well as additional physicians who could be hired as soon as 2012. The new Kirby Medical Center campus is located on the edge of Monticello, just off I-72.