Case made for Plainfield hospital

We're tired already.

We're irritated and getting pretty crabby. This must be at least the third or fourth letter we've written about the planned Edward Hospital for Plainfield.

We've attended hearings.

We've signed petitions. We've let our voice be heard.

But we still don't have a hospital. We know we're getting confused and may not have the events in order, but either the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board has a management problem; or we don't need a hospital at all; or, oops, we've used the wrong calculation to figure the actual need; or, "oh dear" you really do need a hospital but there aren't enough beds planned; to, you really need more maternity beds and maybe it should only be a women's hospital.

We bet the next time they will chide Edward for planning only a women's hospital and not a full service one and we will have yet another delay.

Come on. Where's the problem here! We need a hospital and we need it now.

Let the hospital be approved, built, and later if there is tweaking to be done - do it.

That's how life goes.

Nothing is perfect from the get-go.

It gets refined again and again.

Take a look at the agency making the decisions. They, themselves, are in constant change. The bottom line is let the hospital be built.

Let the services begin and if there is a need for other refinements do them.

That is going to happen anyway as Plainfield itself changes, and as its needs change so will hospital services. It's time for everyone who is affected by the lack of progress on the Plainfield Edward Hospital to act and be heard.

Write a letter to the newspapers and the hospital planning board.

Call or write Gov. Blagojevich (217) 782-0244 or (312) 814-2121 (207 State House, Springfield, IL 62706) to let him know about our problem and tell him of our need for a hospital.

We cannot let this agency think it can keep pushing this out and that we will forget about the need for a hospital.

Joel and Carol Vargo

Plainfield