The three new board members include Southwestern Illinois CFO Robert Hilgenbrink; dental clinic administrator Kathryn Olson; and University of Illinois at Chicago faculty member Richard Sewell.
The appointments come shortly after various stakeholders expressed concern over the board vacancies. Historically, the board has had a difficult time appointing board members because of a provision that prohibits board members from having an association with healthcare facilities or services. Gov. Quinn also passed a reform that increased the size of the board, from five members to nine.
At the time, the vacancies, though only few, had one important implication. A single rejection vote from a board member turned down Cook County health system’s proposed cost-saving plan to turn its Oak Forest Hospital into an outpatient center. The county recently reported a $40 million revenue shortfall due to late Medicaid reimbursements.
Read the news report about the Illinois Health Facilities Board.
Related Articles on the Illinois Health Facilities Board:
Illinois Health Facilities Board Struggles to Fill Open Seats Following 2009 Reforms
Illinois Won’t Allow Closure of Struggling Oak Forest Hospital But Approves Shut Down of East St. Louis Facility
Illinois Regulators to Consider CON Applications From Centegra, Mercy in June
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