Ottawa Rejects OSF HealthCare’s ICU Offer Linked to Endorsement

The city of Ottawa has officially rejected an offer from OSF HealthCare to maintain a limited intensive care unit (ICU) contingent upon the city’s endorsement of a broader hospital consolidation plan. City officials described the conditions tied to the proposal as unfair and unacceptable, marking a significant moment in ongoing discussions about healthcare services in the region.

After several months of negotiations, OSF’s CEO, Bob Sehring, along with President Dawn Trompeter, suggested retaining a “lower-acuity” ICU in Ottawa. This would involve transferring the most critically ill patients to the Peru regional hub. However, Ottawa’s Mayor Robert Hasty emphasized that the proposal required the city to endorse OSF’s larger plan, which extends beyond the ICU issue itself. “Their offer required us to endorse their broader plan, which went beyond just this proposal,” Hasty stated. “I don’t think that was a fair negotiation, and we cannot support it.”

OSF HealthCare made the proposal public on a Friday, asserting that it would allow some level of ICU services to continue in Ottawa. Despite this, both city officials and the advocacy group Citizens for Healthcare in Ottawa (CHO) dismissed the offer. According to Sehring, the adjusted plan was intended to respond to community feedback and to avoid further public hearings. He remarked, “ICU services could have continued in Ottawa as long as the facility remained licensed, even if it wasn’t clinically necessary.”

Critics of the proposal, including Mayor Hasty, argued that the updated ICU offer was insufficient and similar to one presented a year earlier. “The five ICU beds OSF offered were essentially intermediate care,” Hasty explained, adding that such a setup would not accommodate ventilated patients, after-hours surgeries, or other critical services. “That simply isn’t enough for a full-functioning ICU, and we can’t support it.”

Colleen Burns, a representative from CHO, echoed Hasty’s sentiments, stating that both the city and CHO are looking for a sustainable long-term solution to the ICU situation rather than a temporary fix. “It really just wasn’t enough,” she said, citing data that indicates the ICU needs to be maintained in Ottawa.

The rejection of OSF’s proposal underscores the ongoing challenges surrounding healthcare access in eastern La Salle County. Mayor Hasty emphasized the critical role a fully operational ICU plays for the region, which includes not only Ottawa but also nearby communities such as Streator, Marseilles, Grand Ridge, and Sheridan. OSF’s consolidation plan suggests moving inpatient obstetrics and ICU services to Peru while maintaining outpatient obstetrics across the region.

Trompeter defended the plan, stating that centralizing services can enhance care quality and improve access, particularly for high-risk pregnancies. “Recruitment for specialists is difficult in smaller, more rural markets,” she said. “Centralizing services allows us to provide better care across the region while maintaining important services locally.”

While Mayor Hasty acknowledged OSF’s clarification regarding outpatient obstetrics, he reiterated the city’s commitment to preserving a fully operational ICU. “ICU is considered the cornerstone of a full-functioning hospital that can truly provide full-access healthcare to a community,” he said. “Their offer did not provide that.”

In discussing the larger implications of the consolidation plan, OSF described its Peru hospital as the central hub for specialized care in the region. However, Hasty contested this designation, arguing that Ottawa’s larger working population makes it equally vital in regional healthcare planning. “Our population is 19,000, but the working population is significantly higher because people come here for jobs at the county complex and other local businesses,” he explained.

When questioned about whether Peru had a formal agreement or was in negotiations with OSF, the organization stated that city officials have expressed support for the plan but denied the existence of any formal agreement. Peru Mayor Ken Kolowski did not provide clarity on whether similar concessions were offered to Ottawa.

As the discussions continue, the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board is set to hear OSF’s proposal on November 18, 2023, in Hinckley. Concerned residents and interested parties can reach out to the advocacy group Citizens for Healthcare in Ottawa for further information. Those looking to get involved can visit their website at https://saveottawahealthcare.com/.