Three other proposals for new southwest suburban hospitals were shot down Thursday by the recently revamped Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board, which regulates construction and renovations of medical care facilities. More expensive hospital plans for Orland Park, Plainfield and Tinley Park were rejected because they are located near competing hospitals operating at less than full capacity. However, Adventist Health System had an advantage in being able to build its project at an $18-million savings as it will go up around the current facility, and on 50 acres acquired in 1978, according to Adventist Health System Midwest Region president and chief executive officer Ernie Sadau.
Board member Susana G. Lopatka noted the same geographic arguments could be made against Bolingbrook Medical Center, and voted against the proposal. However, board chairman Glenn Poshard counters no objections were made during public hearings on its certificate of need, another prerequisite before construction. Bolingbrook Medical Center also has a track record of treating Medicare and Medicaid patients, as well as a high level of charity care, he adds.
Advocate Health and Hospitals Corp. had the most expensive project, a 144-bed acute car facility at 179th Street and LaGrange Road in Tinley Park, at a cost of $222 million. Although Advocate owns 26 acres there, it needs to buy another 40 acres, which it has under contract.
SSM Health Care Corp. planned to build its 130-bed, $193-million hospital one mile north in neighboring Orland Park with tax-exempt financing. However, the Orland Park and Tinley Park sites are less than a half-hour's drive from five other hospitals, where only 46% to 66% of the beds are in use, Poshard notes.
A $169-million proposal by Edward Plainfield Hospital for western Will County also was rejected.
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