It appears that Health Facilities Planning Board Members: Penn, Burton, Lopatka, and Avery may have not read all testimony. Did they read everything Hearings in Joliet on Jan 22, 2008 and New Lenox on Jan 23? The board members did not even visit the campus. 1/2 a billion dollars of health care funds and they dont even bother to visit SCH in Joliet. As a result they made a motion to approve the closing down of Joliet's East Side Hospital. Honestly after witnessing today's hearing I wonder why this planning board exists at all. The rules clearly state the the "Burden of Proof" falls solely on the applicant SCH. For some reason the rules did not apply in this case. SCH did not have to prove anything even when it was well documented that some information they provided in the application was false.
Next step is to take the matter to circuit court. We lost the battle today July 1st but not the WAR to keep emergency care in our neighborhood. We will not let 1/2 a billion dollars of our health care funds be wasted. See you in court, keep the faith!!
Dr. Gutierrez of Silver Cross Hospital really has done a lot for this community, a true hero. Dr Gutierrez and I disagree on the health care plan for the East Side Joliet Community. Reasonable people can disagree. I have no problem with that at all.
However the bankers running SCH have not been honorable with their tactics. Their plan to close down Silver Cross, their misleading information, and false information serves no purpose in community health care. To demonstrate the extent of SCH game playing, yesterday at the hearing SCH had the same colored green shirts that the city of Joliet had. So it all looked like we were on the same team. SCH had no shame in trying to confuse the community and the planning board
martylepacek@gmail.com
