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Wednesday, March 9, 2005 9:31 AM CST
Carle plans to ask state board to reconsider surgical center
By DAVE FOPAY, Staff Writer
CHARLESTON — Carle Foundation Hospital still plans to ask a state board to reconsider a plan for a Coles County surgical center, now that the timing for such a move has officially begun.
Carle received a formal notice on Friday from the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board of the board's vote tentatively rejecting the plan, according to Tammy Leonard, the board's spokeswoman.
Though the board's vote was on Feb. 3, it was Carle's receiving the notice that puts deadlines in place. Carle has 10 business days to submit a request that the board give the plan a second try, Leonard said.
"We plan to go before the board again because this project is very important to Carle Foundation Hospital, our patients and the community," Carle spokeswoman Gretchen Robbins said in a statement released Tuesday.
If Carle meets the Feb. 18 deadline, it would then have two more months to submit information followed by another two months for the board's staff to review that.
Robbins said she thinks the board would consider the proposal in May or June, but she wouldn't give any details about what additional information Carle might submit.
"We will be happy to share more information with you closer to the hearing date," she said.
The board's 5-0 vote last month was based on its staff's report that said, despite revisions by Carle, the need for the project hadn't been shown. The proposal first went before the board in December but Carle received a delay on the vote so it could respond to an earlier staff report that also said the plan didn't meet all the criteria.
Carle based its reasons for wanting to open the center on claims that several people in Coles County and the surrounding area are now traveling to Carle's hospital in Urbana for surgery and other medical services. It said that was especially true of customers with its health insurance group, Health Alliance Medical Plans.
However, the board staff report said Carle didn't prove that, noting that the application and support documentation for the proposal didn't say if people were leaving the area specifically for surgery or for other medical services.
The report also faulted the proposal for likely having a negative economic impact on other health care facilities, and adding to an already under-used number of operating rooms.
Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center has opposed Carle's proposal since the start.
Contact Dave Fopay at dfopay@jg-tc.com or 348-5733.
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