Silver Cross in the News
City gives up fight to keep Silver Cross JOLIET—City officials will ask what to do next after losing an effort to stop Silver Cross Hospital from moving to New Lenox. "It's not the end of the world," Mayor Arthur Schultz said Wednesday. Schultz said he doubted the city would look for other ways to fight the hospital move after a state regulatory board gave its approval. Indeed, the city council's unified front against the relocation was cracked Tuesday when Councilman Anthony Uremovic became part of the hospital's public campaign to move Silver Cross out of Joliet. Hospital officials introduced Uremovic as a supporter of the move when making their presentation to the state board. Schultz said that the council has not yet had a chance to meet to discuss what to do next. But asked if the city would consider continuing its fight against the move, he said, "I doubt that very much." "I've got no problems with Silver Cross," Schultz said. "We went through the system. Silver Cross got permission to move. We'll have to accept that."
Veterans hospital? There is a groundswell of support for the idea, which was initiated and has been gaining backing from elected officials. State Sen. Debbie Halvorson, D-Crete, a candidate for U.S. Congress, has scheduled a news conference today to announce support for the idea of a veterans hospital at the Silver Cross site. State Sen. Brent Hassert, R-Romeoville, sent a letter Wednesday to Tammy Duckworth, director of veterans affairs, to urge exploration of a veterans hospital at Silver Cross. "I do think there's a strong grassroots movement that this could be a very good use for the hospital," Hassert said. The Will County Board also has passed a resolution in favor of a veterans hospital. Silver Cross, which owns the land, has not joined the bandwagon but has not opposed the idea. Asked about the idea Wednesday, Ruth Colby, vice president of business development at Silver Cross, said, "We would be supportive of anything that best meets the need of the community." Colby also said the hospital would be willing to work with the city of Joliet in conjunction with the Silver Cross Healthy Community Commission on ideas for future uses of its 50-acre campus.
Left behind "They (Silver Cross) have a burden that they're leaving behind," Councilman Joseph Shetina said of the hospital property. "They'd love to see somebody take that burden off of them." Shetina, the city council's most outspoken critic of the Silver Cross plan, also said he was "shocked" by Uremovic's appearance on behalf of Silver Cross. He said Uremovic may have helped persuade the Illinois Health Facility Planning Board to approve the Silver Cross plan. Uremovic did not make a statement at the Wednesday meeting. But he was sitting near the front of the room when Silver Cross President and Chief Executive Officer Paul Pawlak introduced him to the board and told them that Uremovic was someone "who supports this application" to build a new hospital in New Lenox. Uremovic could not be reached for comment. 
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