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Plans to add a helistop to the proposed addition to Adventist Hinsdale Hospital were temporarily grounded amid resident protest by the Hinsdale Plan Commission.
Following two-and-a-half hours of discussion at their meeting Wednesday night, commission members decided to continue the pubic hearing on the issue at a later date, citing the need for more information on the helistop.
Hospital officials are hoping to construct the helistop on top of the facility’s parking deck. The hospital currently operates a helistop at an undeveloped property it owns north of Ogden Avenue west of the Tri-State Tollway.
“Naturally we are disappointed in the outcome because a delay will add cost to the project, but it is clear the village appreciates the importance of this project,” said David Crane, CEO for Adventist Hinsdale Hospital. “We are also grateful for the groundswell of support the project has received.”
More than 75 people attended the meeting. About 25 spoke on the subject, with about an even number opposing and supporting the helistop.
A few people spoke against the addition itself. Hospital officials plan to add a 105,000 square-foot patient wing to the south side of the existing building, 120 N. Oak St. The addition would provide private rooms, reduce the overall number of beds at the hospital from 358 to 290.
The majority of the hospital’s rooms currently are double-occupancy rooms.
The panel appeared ready to approve a request allowing a reduction in setback for the structure and a site plan/exterior review, but chose to reconvene the discussion of the merits of a helistop — which would transport patients from the hospital to other facilities in the Chicago area — at a later date.
“The helistop is the real hot button here, and we need to look at more information on it,” said Dennis Parsons, plan commission member. “One decision is easy, the other is hard. It would be wise not to make a mistake.”
Several area residents said adding a helistop to the hospital in a residential area could impact home values and be a safety concern.
Resident Chris Higgins said the helistop “is not in the best interest of our community.”
“There has been a dramatic increase in the number of medical helicopter crashes. I don’t like the helistop,” Higgins said. “Hospital officials say the number of flights would be about 12 a year, but if (Advocate) Good Samaritan Hospital does 500 a year, how can we say the number will stay at 12?”
Plans to add a helistop to the proposed addition to Adventist Hinsdale Hospital were temporarily grounded amid resident protest by the Hinsdale Plan Commission.
Following two-and-a-half hours of discussion at their meeting Wednesday night, commission members decided to continue the pubic hearing on the issue at a later date, citing the need for more information on the helistop.
Hospital officials are hoping to construct the helistop on top of the facility’s parking deck. The hospital currently operates a helistop at an undeveloped property it owns north of Ogden Avenue west of the Tri-State Tollway.
“Naturally we are disappointed in the outcome because a delay will add cost to the project, but it is clear the village appreciates the importance of this project,” said David Crane, CEO for Adventist Hinsdale Hospital. “We are also grateful for the groundswell of support the project has received.”
More than 75 people attended the meeting. About 25 spoke on the subject, with about an even number opposing and supporting the helistop.
A few people spoke against the addition itself. Hospital officials plan to add a 105,000 square-foot patient wing to the south side of the existing building, 120 N. Oak St. The addition would provide private rooms, reduce the overall number of beds at the hospital from 358 to 290.
The majority of the hospital’s rooms currently are double-occupancy rooms.
The panel appeared ready to approve a request allowing a reduction in setback for the structure and a site plan/exterior review, but chose to reconvene the discussion of the merits of a helistop — which would transport patients from the hospital to other facilities in the Chicago area — at a later date.
“The helistop is the real hot button here, and we need to look at more information on it,” said Dennis Parsons, plan commission member. “One decision is easy, the other is hard. It would be wise not to make a mistake.”
Several area residents said adding a helistop to the hospital in a residential area could impact home values and be a safety concern.
Resident Chris Higgins said the helistop “is not in the best interest of our community.”
“There has been a dramatic increase in the number of medical helicopter crashes. I don’t like the helistop,” Higgins said. “Hospital officials say the number of flights would be about 12 a year, but if (Advocate) Good Samaritan Hospital does 500 a year, how can we say the number will stay at 12?”
Dr. Sherwin Waldman, emergency room physician at Hinsdale Hospital, said the addition of a helistop would enhance the hospital’s ability to serve critically ill or injured patients.
“Currently it takes an hour to 90 minutes to transport a patient from our hospital to another facility once the helicopter has landed at the existing helistop,” Waldman said.
The off-site helistop also requires the village to provide an ambulance, a fire truck and a police unit to be on hand during the process, Waldman said.
“With a helistop on our campus the time to get a patient from the emergency room to the helicopter would be a matter of minutes, and there would be no need for using village resources,” Waldman said.
Some residents said they feared the projected number of flights could increase if the hospital increases its care level, a contention hospital officials said was unfounded.
“The language in the text amendment we are proposing limits and restricts us to outgoing patients only,” said John George, attorney for Adventist Hinsdale Hospital. “There is no provision in it that would allow incoming patients.”
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Plan Commission is 7:30 p.m. Jan. 13.
