The two winners of Alton Memorial Hospital’s first two Health Equity Scholarships had to consider those honors a very special Mother’s Day gift this year. Taryn Wallace, a senior at Alton High School, and Samara Helton, a senior at Edwardsville High School, were both raised by single mothers who have been steady influences in their lives -- and they were awarded the scholarships four days before Mother’s Day.

Three Alton Memorial Hospital departments were recognized recently with top awards from national health care research leader Professional Research Consultants Inc. (PRC). The Digestive Health Center earned a Top Performer award for the third consecutive year. The AMH Human Motion Institute and Cardiac Cath received 5-Star Awards.

Alton Memorial Hospital has donated one of its out-of-service ambulances to The Salvation Army's Alton Corps for use as a mobile case management unit, an important need since The Salvation Army has transitioned to a 'scattered site housing model' in the community.

The Mobile Integrated Health Care (MIH) program started earlier this year by the Alton Memorial Hospital EMS team is already paying dividends, according to David and Mary Gammaitoni of Godfrey.

Billy Welch almost came full circle recently during a short-term stay at Alton Memorial Rehabilitation & Therapy. The former Eunice Smith Home is less than a mile from Alton Memorial Hospital, where on Nov. 15, 1937, Billy was the very first baby born at the hospital, delivered by Dr. D.M. Roberts and weighing in at 9 pounds, 8 ounces. That was the same day the hospital opened to welcome its first patients.