If upgrades are needed at the current Joliet East Side Hospital then of course make the necessary improvements. If the building does not flow seamlessly the current administration that has been in place for 16 years is responsible. Don’t punish the undeserved community by closing down their hospital because of someone else's lack of forecasting the future building needs.
You don’t punish a population because architectural vison was lacking. During the last 8 years over 150 million was used to upgrade the facilities. Including 35 new state of the art evidenced based design surgical suites, 2 floors of the hospital remodeled, a new cardiovascular center, a new emergency room, remodeled exterior of the building (if an exterior is structurally sound does our healthcare funds need to be wasted for remodeling?), two roads were closed to accommodate Silver Cross, etc...
If the eastern part of the county's population can support a hospital then build one but that has nothing to do with Joliet's East Side hospital. If a hospital is needed out east it does not necessarily have to be Silver Cross that builds it. The more choices the better. The Joliet community needs its emergency care. The Joliet East Side hospital needs to develop solutions for the undeserved instead of taking away close proximity emergency care.
I took down the comment section on this blog, it was only up for one day. I dont have the time to ensure that erroneous information is not being posted. For instance a few people attacked the city of Joliet. This has nothing to do with proximity of healthcare for the poor or wasting 1/2 a billion dollars on the same type of hospital with the same type of services. Also the pediatric department is licensed for 39 beds the department has already been slashed to 21 beds now at the new hospital there will be downsized further to 8 beds. Children with serious illness will still have to go to Chicago. Some people at Silver Cross do not seem to care that people are being misled to believe they will not have to go to Chicago if their child becomes seriously ill.
Dr Richard Zalar believes Silver Cross was behind a blockage of an Alzheimer Center, this was back in 2000 Illinois Bill 1613, Palos Heights hospital wanted serious talks regarding a collaboration of ambulatory services out in Frankfort/Mokena with Silver Cross. According to Palos Heights they were rebuffed by the Board of Directors of Silver Cross. Somewhere along the road Silver Cross Administrators have lost their compass as to what community healthcare is supposed to be about.
Did you know that Silver Cross Officials literally tried to block the hearing from being held on January 22, 2007 at city hall in Joliet?
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