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In August, the governor signed
legislation terminating the terms of all nine previous members and
allowing him to name a leaner five-member board. The Sept. 22
appointments provide a quorum of the five-member board, enabling it
to immediately resume its meeting schedule to consider and take
official action on pending applications.
The Lincoln Developmental Center task
force awaits approval of a proposal to open a facility on the former
LDC grounds for mentally handicapped people.
 All three of the governor's
appointments have experience working in or with the health care
industry in Illinois. "These three individuals bring a critical
understanding of our state's health care needs and a high caliber of
personal integrity to the board. They will provide the fresh start
the board needs to reclaim the confidence of health care providers
and the public," said Gov. Blagojevich. "Under Glenn Poshard's
leadership, the needs of rural areas of our state that have faced
some of the most serious gaps in access to quality health care will
be well-represented."
The new members are:
Glenn Poshard, D-Carbondale
As a former U.S. congressman and state
legislator from southern Illinois, Poshard worked closely with
health care providers and advocates to address health care access
needs unique to rural communities. He served as co-chair of the
Rural Health Care Caucus in the U.S. Congress and helped write
national legislation dealing with critical care access designation
for small and rural hospitals and rural medical transportation. He
currently serves on the board of trustees Southern Illinois
University at Carbondale. He holds three degrees from the
university, including a master's degree in health education. His
term expires July 1, 2007.
Pamela Woodward, D-Palos Park
Woodward spent seven years working as a
training specialist in the licensed practical nursing program at the
City Colleges of Chicago and taught psychology courses as an adjunct
professor at Kankakee Community College and Governor's State
University. She is a vice president and financial advisor for Morgan
Stanley in Orland Park. She has a master's degree in psychology from
the University of Illinois at Chicago and a master's in
communications from Governors State University. Her term
expires July 1, 2006.
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this article]
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Susana Lopatka, R-Chicago
In December of 2002, Lopatka retired
from a 16-year tenure with the state of Illinois, during which she
served as a Department of Human Services maternal and child health
nurse consultant for the Cook County region. Before that, she was
the nursing director of Chicago Lying-In Hospital at the University
of Chicago Medical Center. She started her career in New York City,
where she held clinical, management and educational positions in
public health, ambulatory care and acute care. In her nursing
administration positions at the University of Chicago and at Mount
Sinai Medical Centers in New York, she participated in the planning
and implementation of replacement medical facilities. She holds a
bachelor of science degree in nursing from Columbia University and a
master's degree in nursing from New York University. Her term
expires July 1, 2006.
The Health Facilities Planning Act was
created to restrain rising health care costs by preventing
unnecessary construction or modification of health care facilities.
The board issues permits for construction or modification projects
proposed by or on behalf of health care facilities and approves
transactions for the acquisition of major medical equipment.
Under legislation signed by the
governor in August to reform the board, all members must have a
reasonable knowledge of health planning, health finance and health
care. The new law also specifies that people should not be appointed
or continue to serve as members of the board if they or a spouse,
parent or child are members of the board of directors of, have a
direct or indirect financial interest in, or have a business
relationship with a health care facility. The new law also prohibits
ex parte communications between members, employees or hearing
officers of the state board and any person or party with a financial
interest in the outcome of a pending or impending permit
application.
Before signing legislation
reconstituting the board, the governor declared a moratorium on all
activities of the board. This was in response to a federal
investigation and allegations of potential conflicts of interest.
The recent appointments give the board
authority to resume its responsibilities.
[LDN and news release from the
governor's office] |
