EDITORIAL: Thumbs up to HSHS St. John's Hospital renovation plan

Dec. 13--The Editorial Board of the State Journal-Register offers this week's Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down.

Thumbs up to HSHS St. John's Hospital securing approval from the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board for a proposed $17.2-million renovation. Thirty-two new "medical/surgical" beds will be added to facilitate care for an increased number of patients from smaller hospitals in central and southern Illinois. Outdated intensive care rooms will be replaced and eight ICU rooms will be added. Construction will begin in early 2020 and should be completed in three years. We appreciate the detailed planning needed even in these early procedural steps to realize a vision for even better health care in the future.

Thumbs up to the recent opinion on legislative ethics reform by Marie C. Dillon, director of policy at the Better Government Association. Entitled "Serious about ethics reforms? Start here," the piece appeared on this page on Nov. 19. Given how quickly legislators dove into the complex details of lobbying, we thought her two straightforward points merit further attention. Dillon suggested that 1) the Illinois General Assembly's Inspector General be authorized to initiate investigations without seeking approval of the Legislative Ethics Commission, and 2) legislators strengthen their code of conduct to identify specific ethical breaches and attendant penalties. Dillon's conclusion hits the nail squarely: "A fully empowered inspector general is only as strong as the laws she enforces. So yes, by all means let's give the watchdog some teeth. But let's give her some laws to work with, too." We'll be watching for the House-Senate committee report on March 31.

Thumbs up to the E-Commerce Exchange Zone in the lobby of the Springfield Police Department at 800 E. Monroe. Police remind us that whether you are doing online shopping or selling your own items, this is an easy way to insure the safety of all involved. This item appeared in a recent issue of the City of Springfield Announcements, a weekly e-mail newsletter update available by signing up at www.springfield.il.us The newsletter lists items such as public works street closings, waste pick-up schedules, city meeting schedules, Lincoln Library programs, and special events. Thanks for the reminder about the E-Commerce Exchange Zone and the online email efforts to keep us informed.

Thumbs down to the nearly 25% of Illinois counties which have not provided a lactation room for nursing mothers, despite a state law that took effect nearly a year ago. Understandably, local officials often oppose "unfunded mandates" which require them to address issues without supporting revenue. Occasionally, such as this, larger common good and decency issues can only be addressed through the spotlight of statewide legislation. Though the law doesn't contain penalties for failure to provide these spaces, we trust the attention such surveys bring will encourage county officials to assure community health and do right by nursing mothers and their infants.

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