Two Lake County hospitals dealt setback

The two medical groups fighting to build a new hospital in Lake County will have some convincing to do next week when they ask the state for approval.

Vista Medical Center and Advocate Health Care -- both of which have been attempting to build hospitals for nearly a year -- took another hit last week when a state report showed there is already an excess of 209 hospital beds in the area.

Vista wants to build a 140-bed hospital in Lindenhurst. Oak Brook-based Advocate has submitted plans to build a 144-bed hospital in Round Lake.

In addition to the excess beds already in the county, the staff report says there are seven hospitals within 30 minutes of Vista's proposed hospital, and five hospitals within 30 minutes of Advocate's proposed facility.

Kelly Jo Golson, vice president of communications for Advocate, said the group is reviewing the findings and trying to determine how the report affects the hospital proposal.

"We are still in the process of interpreting the findings but without a doubt continue to feel strongly that there is a need for access and care in Lake County," Golson said. "We've always said we are doing this with a multi-prong approach."

Advocate also has a proposal before the state to build an immediate-care center in Round Lake.

Representatives from Vista would not comment Monday on the report.

Lake County Board Chairman Suzi Schmidt said the assertion that another hospital in Lake County may not be needed is absurd.

"Nothing surprises me with the state on any issue," Schmidt said. "There are not hospitals in the northwest part of Lake County, and in true Illinois fashion, we are forcing people to go to southern Wisconsin."

Schmidt has publicly supported Vista's proposal but said she would support any hospital in western Lake county.

"There are no hospitals within 30 minutes because of the traffic," she said. "People are going to get sicker and people are going to die. This is a crime, what they are doing."

The Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board will likely vote on both proposals during a two-day meeting April 8 and 9 in Springfield.

Opponents to both hospital projects say the state report confirms Lake County does not need another hospital.

Both medical groups say growth in Lake County, particularly on the western end, makes their projects viable.

Fortunately for both Vista and Advocate, planning board members, who oversee construction of new hospitals, will take several factors into consideration.

"The report is one criteria among another criteria," said Jeffrey Mark, planning board secretary. "The board has broad discretion to view all information, public testimony, the application itself. The board is required to view each application on a case-by-case basis."