KishHealth System Sells Building to Shabbona United Church of Christ

A vision that began nearly five years ago came to fruition earlier this month, when KishHealth System and Shabbona United Church of Christ parishioners celebrated the transition of a building from one organization to the other. The building, located across the street from the church in Shabbona, used to house local physicians Ghori Khan, MD, and Pushpa Mamtani, MD, before they moved their private practice to Waterman in 2009. About a year later, Pastor Jim Allen reached out to KishHealth System and began discussing the purchase of the building. The KishHealth System board unanimously approved the sale, and the building is now in the hands of the church, and will become the home of a community-wide ministry, Next Door Mission.“Last October, our congregation approved a price to offer the health system for the building,” said Pastor Jim Allen. “KishHealth System board recognized our work in the community, and was gracious in offering the building at a price we could afford.” Pastor Allen says the direction of Next Door Mission will evolve over time, and the oversight committee is considering a number of options for the space that include a senior center, health screening clinics, and counseling center. Next Door Mission is working closely with the Family Service Agency in DeKalb to extend their senior services into the southern portion of the county.

“We have a similar mission – taking care of the people in our community,” said Michael Kokott, KishHealth System assistant vice president of Marketing & Business Development. “The plans that the United Church of Christ has for the building are very similar to what the health system might have done. We are delighted to be able to contribute to the community of Shabbona in this way.”

The sale of the building was strategically planned, and allows KishHealth System to focus more on the short- and long-term goals developed as part of the 2012 Community Health Needs Assessment. The health system hopes to include Next Door Mission as part of their developing Community Health Network, which is being piloted in the south end of DeKalb County through Valley West Hospital in Sandwich.