I must admit that I am growing exceedingly frustrated and confused by the reports on the proposal of Edward Hospital to construct a heart facility in Naperville.
Why is the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board listening to a corporate lobbyist from an alliance of seven rival suburban hospitals and not to the residents of Naperville?
The facts seem quite clear:
One, Edward Hospital is the only facility serving the needs of Naperville, Fox Valley, Lisle, Plainfield, Bolingbrook and Woodridge.
Naperville alone has a projected growth rate of more than 25 percent over the next five years.
Two, Edward Hospital’s existing cardiac care unit is already showing signs of overgrowing.
Consumer needs of the facility have increased 12 percent annually since 1993 with no signs of leveling out.
Three, as the suburban population increases, those same people are getting older. Nearly 40 percent of the population are Baby Boomers who will require cardiac care during the next 20 years.
Bed shortages are already occurring at suburban hospitals across the region. Soon this situation will threaten the care of hospital patients. How will this impending crisis be handled?
I am truly impressed that the administrators at Edward Hospital have the foresight to plan for the future.
It seems to me state officials and the media only talk about the crisis in health care. It is nice to know that the people at Edward Hospital (for which my law firm has performed legal work not related to the heart facility) are planning ahead.
I hope that the members of the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board will also recognize that need and leave us prepared for the future and support the heart facility proposal at its next board meeting.
