No action on Edward Hospital request

SPRINGFIELD - For the second time in recent months, a state hospital planning board deferred a decision on whether Edward Hospital officials can move forward with their proposal to build a second facility in Plainfield.

Sensing that their current proposal would be denied, Edward Hospital officials on Tuesday supported the delay by the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board and will appear before the board again next month.

Hospital officials want to build a $234 million facility with 162 beds to meet the needs of an expected burgeoning population. Plainfield is expected to grow to 120,000 residents by 2030 from the current 35,000.

But the proposal has met resistance from the beginning. Bolingbrook Adventist Hospital, Rush-Copley Medical Center in Aurora and Provena St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet have objected, questioning whether the addition is needed and how it will affect their patient levels.

Although there was no decision on Edward's request Tuesday, there was an odd new twist. Susana Lopatka, acting board chairwoman, offered a suggestion to keep the Edward Hospital proposal alive: opening a facility for women.

Edward Hospital officials said during the hearing they were open to the possibility. Those officials declined to comment immediately following the hearing.