Thank You Chuck Butterfield

“You travel 50 miles for the best meal you’ve ever had, why not travel 50, 60, 70 miles for the best medical treatment you’ve ever had.”

Chuck Butterfield spent eight years on the McDonough District Hospital Board of Directors, the last few years as the Secretary/Treasurer, before recently resigning his position. Even though his time on the Board has concluded, MDH is a facility he still cares deeply about and Chuck shared his thoughts – to be the hospital people from the tri-states area want to visit.

“That’s what I’d like this hospital to be known for. I want MDH to be the best hospital in west-central Illinois, make sure our staff has the mindset that we are the best hospital in Illinois, or eastern Iowa, or central Missouri,” said Butterfield.

Butterfield was part of dynamic growth at MDH, both facility-wise and staffing. The expansion of the Emergency Department and now seeing plans for the Dolores Kator Switzer Women’s Center come to fruition were two facility highlights.

“Getting the new Emergency Department up and running with the Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation area on the third floor was a highlight. That was a vast improvement to our facility. Of course right now you have the (Dolores Kator Switzer) Women’s Center, it’s coming along really well,” said Butterfield. From a physician staff recruitment, “Getting the number of primary care providers in as we did, one of the things I had nothing to do with but having Dr. Patterson (Urology) come to MDH, getting Jeff Sparks for Ear, Nose and Throat… really just enlarging the scope of our operation which will draw people to us.”

Once Chuck came to Macomb in 1966 to start college, he wound up never leaving the area.

“I grew up in Abingdon and came here in ’66 to start college. I met my wife Janice through a relative and they wouldn’t let me go,” joked Butterfield.

He began farming in 1970, starting as a hired hand and eventually built up a farming operation and family of his own. Chuck and Janice are the proud parents of a son (Paul, and his wife Lisa) and a daughter (Kelly, and her special friend Justin) with grandkids and step-grandkids who keep them busy.

“The family owns and rents 1,300 acres, most of it is owned by the family. My son has been farming with me since even before he got out of training pants. He’s always been with me, it’s what he wanted to be.”

Besides family, farming, and MDH, there’s another area of Chuck’s life he cherishes.

“I started playing music when I was in junior high. I play the drums… playing in combos paid my way through college. I took a break from music to build my farming operation and then in 2000, myself and two of the other guys that I played with in high school got back together to play our 35th (high school) class reunion. Our group developed from there,” said Butterfield. “We were together for seven years, playing at car shows and social occasions. We quit again in 2008 and just recently we picked back up and started playing music again with a different bunch of people. We’re called Old Dogs New Tricks.

“There’s nine of us so it’s a conglomeration of everyone’s favorite music. We play classic rock and roll, Rolling Stones, AC/DC, The Doobie Brothers, Roy Orbison… all kinds of stuff. It’s just having fun with the guys. Having fun is what it’s all about.”

As he reflected on his time with the hospital, the former Secretary/Treasurer knows how big of an impact MDH can have on the community.

“I care very much about this hospital. Just because I left the Board doesn’t mean I don’t care. I would like for the people we serve - and also the people who work here - to feel as if this is their hospital. What our staff does affects how the hospital is viewed by other people,” said Butterfield. “Employees should walk in every morning and ask ‘How am I going to affect this person today?’, hopefully in a good manner or through good thoughts you’re going to make a difference today in someone’s life. No matter who you are, I’m going to do my best to serve the people who walk through that door. And to know that this is my hospital, this is part of my life. It’s not just where I make my living, it’s a part of me.”