Silver Cross Hospital filed an application to close down the Joliet East Side Hospital in December of 2007. There were hearings on Jan 22 and Jan 23 2008 regarding this application. At the hearings SCH was told to present all information regarding the application. Representatives from Joliet stated that SCH was holding items back. Sure enough on April 28 (two days before the deadline to present data) SCH presented over 70 pages of legal documents giving opposition no time to respond before the May 1st deadline, no time to seek expert review of the material. SCH is making a mockery of fair play. What is so wrong about all Pros, all Cons, all facts being heard and reviewed by unbiased independent experts.
In addition to not playing fair it appears that SCH may have broke planning board rules by this maneuver. Time will tell
Also it is possible that on April 28th Silver Cross Hospital referred to two documents, stating that they were put into testimony on Jan 22 and Jan 23, they produced copies of these documents, however there appears to be no record of these documents submitted as evidence on Jan 22 or Jan 23. If it is true it indicates an attempt at fraud being committed on the Planning Board, the State, and to citizens. If true and these records were mailed or wired then that could be considered mail fraud or wire fraud.
On Jan 22 at the hearing in Joliet the transcripts clearly reflect a State Official making this statement : "Any person wanting to submit written comment on this project must submit these comments by May 1st 2008." Apparently material received on this date did not make it into the public record. Also the State Agency Report released after May 3rd was corrected due to a complaint filed by SCH. This correction was done on May 7th. Another complaint was filed regarding the same report on May 13th. This complaint was filed by opposition. NOTHING was done last minute. Due to the above facts the State did not have an opportunity to review all material therefore they deferred until July.
The May 13th letter addressed deficiencies and concerns in the state agency report.(As allowed by Planning Board Rules) It appeared that report was not complete according to planning board rules. Also Health Facilities Planning board members nor their counsel reviewed this May 13th letter.
However as previously mentioned SCH did file a last minute 73 page legal document on April 28th even though they had been working on this plan to close Joliet’s Hospital for over two years. This tactic assured SCH that there would be no time for a thorough rebuttal by opposition. This unfair tactic was publicly predicted by Joliet Officials during the hearings in January. I urge the community to forget the marketing, forget what you think you know, keep an open mind and just learn the facts, pro or con.
Please contact me today, you can save your community hospital martylepacek@gmail.com
