 "I believe we must ensure
there is a fair process that operates to the benefit of the entire
state. The current executive leadership of the board has not given
me confidence that we are accomplishing this in the best interest of
the citizens of Illinois, who need and deserve reasonable access to
quality health care facilities in their communities," said Brady,
R-Bloomington.The 44th District senator noted that the General
Assembly purged every board member from the Health Facilities
Planning Board regardless of their ties to the corrupting influences
of Tony Rezko and others, though the governor's administration has
allowed the executive secretary, Jeffrey Mark, to continue in his
position.
"I am not suggesting in any way that the executive secretary has
engaged in any illegal activities, but he served during a time when
it has been proven that outside influences were manipulating the
board and using it to their own financial benefit," Brady said.
"The time has come to correct this oversight. We cannot pretend
to reform the health care planning process in Illinois without
replacing the executive secretary who steered it during a time when
we now know its activities reeked of corruption," said Brady, who
serves on the state Task Force on Health Planning Reform and who
chaired a Senate Republican task force that recommended several
changes in the board's operations two years ago.
[to top of second column]
 |
 The senator also called on the director of the Department of
Public Health, Dr. Damon T. Arnold, to replace David Carvalho as the
department's ex-officio member on the Task Force on Health Planning
Reform and as the department's ex-officio member on the Health
Facilities Planning Board.
"Mr. Carvalho represents the status quo. While he has been
involved in the state's certificate-of-need program for some time,
we now see a great disparity of patient beds per population that
demands a different mindset as we evaluate needed facilities," Brady
said.
State Sen. Pamela Althoff, R-McHenry, the other Senate Republican
member appointed to the Task Force on Health Planning Reform, said:
"It is time to begin the real work of the task force. I agree with
Sen. Brady that concerns about the past could cloud our ability to
ensure we have a rational process to deal with the future health
care needs of our citizens, particularly in high-growth areas of
Illinois."
The lawmakers say timely action on this request is vital because
the Task Force on Health Planning Reform has three meetings
remaining, with the next meeting scheduled for Aug. 15 in Chicago.
[Text from file sent on behalf
of
Sen.
Bill Brady by
Illinois Senate Republican staff] |
