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The recommendation will go to the
Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board, which will decide at its
Aug. 15 meeting whether to give the Department of Human Services a
permit to close LDC completely.
The state agency’s analysis says that
"while reasonable people can draw many different conclusions from
the same set of facts," citations that indicate quality of care
issues, the state’s budget crisis and the fact that DHS has other
facilities that can take care of LDC residents tip the balance
toward closure.
According to the report, "it appears
that the harsh reality of the situation is that economics play the
deciding role in this application. It appears that while the parents
and employees would like to see this facility stay open, the lack of
funding for this facility in the State budget means that the only
way care can be maintained for these patients is to move them to
other facilities which have the necessary funding."
There are no funds in the state budget
to operate LDC longer than Aug. 31, the date set by Gov. George Ryan
and DHS to shut the doors forever.
The recommendation by DPH to issue the
permit is only one of the criteria the planning board is expected to
consider. Testimony given at the public hearing in Lincoln on July
15, reports from the Department of Human Services, and letters and
other written testimony are also to be considered.
Because the planning board, a 15-member
appointed body, depends on DPH for staff and administrative help,
some LDC supporters fear the state agency’s report could be very
influential. However, P.J. Burtle-McCredie, spokesperson for DPH,
said there is no hard and fast rule to say the planning board would
give any more credence to the agency’s report than to any other
criteria.
"I’ve seen it go both ways," she said.
"I’ve seen them get a negative state agency report and still approve
a permit, or vice versa."
The legal challenge brought by AFSCME,
the union that represents most LDC employees, along with parents of
an LDC resident, has centered on the need for DHS to secure a
permit before closing the facility. At present, the Illinois Supreme
Court has reinstated an injunction preventing DHS from moving any
more LDC residents while the state’s high court decides whether to
hear an appeal of the case.
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article]
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The 27-page DPH report includes some of
the testimony given in Lincoln by supporters of LDC and by those who
want to see it closed. Testimony by several parents and guardians as
well as four state legislators who want to keep LDC open is
included, as well as all testimony from those who want it closed.
The report does not include all testimony from LDC supporters, who
were an overwhelming majority on July 15.
It includes a statement by Anne Irving
of AFSCME about the "long and proud history of providing quality
services" at LDC, including its national accreditation in 1996.
Irving cited inaccuracies in DHS’s application for the permit to
close and said LDC’s problems began when "a failed prison warden"
and a "new, inexperienced management team" took over the facility.
The report also includes a statement
from Melissa Wright, associate director of the Office of
Developmental Disabilities, detailing the steps taken by DHS to try
to bring LDC into conformity with safety regulations and the failure
of LDC employees to meet minimum federal client protection
standards. Her testimony was not presented at the July 15 public
hearing in Lincoln.
The DPH report says there are more
than 800 open, certified beds in Illinois state-operated facilities
that will remain available after LDC is closed, so any demand for
services can be met. Jacksonville Developmental Center can house all
63 residents currently at LDC whose families are in the area,
according to the report.
The report did agree that closing LDC
will adversely affect the ability of parents and guardians of
many residents to continue to be involved in the care of their
family members. The proposed closing "will result in a hardship for
those family members who will, because of the movement of their
loved ones, have to travel a much longer distance to be involved in
their care and treatment."
In summary,
the report says, "The parents in support of keeping this facility
open sincerely believe that the facility and its staff are providing
high quality care for their loved ones. The proponents of closing
the facility believe, for the most part, that the state has
committed too many resources to the institutional setting and that
setting is not providing appropriate care to the residents it now
serves."
[Joan
Crabb] |
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The award recognizes alumnae members
who have displayed achievement in their volunteer, philanthropic,
civic or professional pursuits.
Garman currently serves as Supreme
Court justice for the state of Illinois. She was appointed to this
position by the Illinois Supreme Court in 2001 to fill the vacancy
created by the retirement of Justice Ben Miller. She has been
serving as a judge in Illinois for nearly 30 years. Just after
receiving her bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois in
1965 and her juris doctor from Iowa College of Law in 1968, she
served Vermilion County as an attorney and began a private practice
with the firm of Sebat, Swanson, Nanks, Lessen, and Garman.
 [to top of second column in this
article] |
Garman resides in Danville with her
husband, Bedford, with whom she has two adult children.
Delta Delta
Delta, one of the founders of the National Panhellenic Conference,
is a leader among women’s fraternities. Tri Delta is one of the
largest women’s fraternities, with a membership totaling more than
210,000. With 133 collegiate chapters and 354 alumnae chapters
across the United States and Canada, Tri Delta continues to be
internationally recognized for high standards and outstanding
accomplishments. The executive office of Tri Delta is located in
Arlington, Texas.
[News
release]
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