In this video, ICF Co-Founder Lou Zacharilla discusses COVID-19 with Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network’s Pat Schou.

Pat Schou is the executive director of the Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network (ICAHN), the first state-wide critical access hospital (CAH) network established in 2003 comprised of 57 CAH and rural hospitals which is providing a number of hospital support services and educational programs as well as managing several grant programs for the Illinois Department of Public Health and other organizations.

In addition, Schou is the executive director of the Illinois Rural Community Care Organization (IRCCO)), which is a statewide rural accountable care organization comprised of 27 critical access and rural hospitals. Schou has more than 40 years of clinical and rural hospital administrative experience and is the current president of the National Rural Health Association where she has held several positions. She was awarded the Calico Rural Leadership Award by the National Rural Research Center in 2013, Rural Hero Award by the University of Illinois Rural Medical Education in 2016 and received the National Rural Health Association’s President Award in April 2015 and a Community Hero Award from Meridian Health in 2019.

Schou serves as chair of her local health board, the Board for the Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (National Hospital Survey Accreditation Organization, National Rural Resource Center Board, and Partners for Connected Illinois Board and is a fellow member of the American College of Healthcare Executives as well as a national speaker and facilitator. She was recently appointed to the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services. Schou has a Bachelor of Nursing, Illinois Wesleyan University and a Master of Science, Northern Illinois University.