State rejects Edward's plans for Plainfield hospital

State health planning regulators have rejected plans from Naperville's Edward Hospital to build a new $246 million facility in Plainfield.

During a sometimes contentious Tuesday morning hearing, members of the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board said Edward is proposing more hospital beds than state standards allow.

"The project simply does not fulfill the current statute," said Susana Lopatka, acting chairwoman of the health planning board, in voting against the proposed 162-bed hospital. "I cannot support this application."

The state last month released its latest report on Edward's application and still found discrepancies with the number of beds proposed vs. the number needed. But Edward officials said the gap was closing.

Edward's proposal includes 114 medical/surgical/pediatrics beds and the state is now recognizing a need for 40, up from 19.

Alan Kaplan, Edward Hospital's chief medical officer, urged the state health planning board to find a compromise that would allow for construction of the long-debated Plainfield hospital, a project that's been under consideration for the past six years.

"We have come a long way and we are not that far apart," Kaplan said. "Let's work together. Let's bring this odyssey to a close today."

Hospital officials said they would consider adding obstetrics/gynecology beds to the facility while reducing the number of medical/surgical/pediatrics beds. Those alternative plans would add 10 obstetrics/gynecology beds while subtracting either 14 or 42 medical/surgical/pediatrics beds.

The adjustments come in response to a suggestion from Lopatka that Edward create a women's hospital. But hospital officials argued creating a single-gender hospital wouldn't sufficiently meet the medical needs of the Plainfield area.

Edward's hospital proposal faces resistance from Bolingbrook Adventist Hospital, Rush-Copley Medical Center in Aurora and Provena St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet. Both Adventist and Rush-Copley submitted letters Tuesday in opposition of the Edward Hospital project.

Plainfield village officials have argued the hospital is needed to fill a gap in care for a fast-growing area.

It wasn't immediately clear whether Edward will appeal the state health planning board's decision.