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Sen. Brady: Governor's inaction leaves health care projects in limbo
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[March 19, 2010]
SPRINGFIELD -- State Sen. Bill Brady,
R-Bloomington, says continued inaction by Gov. Rod Blagojevich is
leaving health care projects worth tens of millions of dollars --
and health care consumers -- in limbo.
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 The 44th District senator says the governor has still not submitted
his appointments to fill vacancies on the Illinois Health Facilities
Planning Board, nor has he appointed members to a legislative task
force created earlier this year to review the effectiveness of the
board."This governor is holding up the business of an entire
state because he stubbornly insists on a health care program that
lawmakers do not support," Brady said. "So it is rather ironic that
he has still not fulfilled his obligations to appoint the members of
a board that oversees health care facilities in Illinois."
The 44th District senator says the five-member Illinois Health
Facilities Planning Board has only three members, one of whom
currently is unable to attend meetings.
"Because it lacks a quorum, the board cannot meet, and tens of
millions of dollars worth of health care projects and improvements
are in limbo. The governor is holding up timely and up-to-date
access to health care and is standing in the way of investment in
health care facilities throughout the state," Brady said. "For
health care consumers, it is critical to have a board that
understands the importance of providing cutting-edge medical
technology to better serve our citizens and to address the need for
expanded health care facilities in high-growth suburban and
downstate areas."
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 The legislative task force was created earlier this year to
further examine necessary changes to the Health Facilities Planning
Act and the state's certificate-of-need program. Passed May 30 and
immediately signed into law by the governor,
Senate Bill 244 created a 19-member task force, made up of six
appointees of the Department of Public Health, two members of each
legislative caucus and five representatives of the attorney general.
Brady says that currently only Senate Republicans and House
Republicans have made their appointments.
The task force is charged with reporting its findings to the
General Assembly by March 1, 2008.
Brady chaired a similar task force in 2006 that conducted public
hearings throughout the state to examine the efficiency, objectivity
and utility of the board, which had been plagued by allegations of
corruption. The Senate Republican Health Facilities Planning Board
Task Force issued a report Nov. 29, 2006, stating that structural
and operational reforms are necessary for the board's efficient
operation, as is a comprehensive review of the usefulness of the
board and the certificate-of-need process in the governance of the
health care industry.
[Text from file sent on behalf of
Sen.
Bill Brady by Illinois
Senate Republican staff] |
