Mercy Pounds Centegra for Abandoning Woodstock

Hospital wars continue in McHenry County. Wisconsin-based Mercy Health System lobed rhetoric at Centegra in the Woodstock Independent, the dominant health care provider in McHenry County after Centegra filed suit to stop a state-approved 13-bed Mercy hospital in Crystal Lake. … Continue reading

Proposed Crystal Lake Mercy Hospital Makes Jacob Kiferbaum’s Plea Agreement as Another Rob Blagojevich Scandal Winds Down

In the pleas agreement between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Jacob Kiferbaum appears the following: Planning Board/Mercy Hospital [Stuart] Levine solicited a kickback of approximately $1.5 million from [Jacob] Kiferbaum relating to the construction of Mercy Hospital’s Crystal Lake facility. … Continue reading

NW Herald Uses Channel Two Approach to Covering Hospital Application Rejections

I thought CBS Channel Two had the best coverage of the Rod Blagojevich verdict reading. An employee was texting from the courtroom. Viewers could see in real time what the talking heads saw. In covering the Health Facilities Planning Board … Continue reading

Crystal Lake Council Considering Resolution of Support for Mercy Hospital Tonight

Way down at the bottom of tonight’s Crystal Lake City Council meeting agenda is a resolution supporting Mercy Hospital’s Certificate of Need application to state regulators. Take a look at the memo from City Manager Gary Meyerhofer for Agenda item … Continue reading

The Lawyer-Legislators’ Defense

One of the way lawyers in the General Assembly make money is by attracting clients who have not only a business agenda, but a legislative agenda. Because state law does not require attorneys to list their clients, there’s no central … Continue reading

Thoughts About the Governor’s Race

If you looked at the front page of the Chicago Tribune Sunday, you saw five candidates on top of the page. They are ones that the Tribune’s poll found leading in both the Democratic and Republican Party primaries. It was … Continue reading

Bear Steans’ Nick Hurtgen Pleads Guilty

One of former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson’s “Wunderkinds” has plead guilty to federal charges concerning the Edwards Hospital Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board scandal. Nicholas Hurtgen, who at the time was Managing Director of the Chicago office of Bear Stearns, … Continue reading

Kass Again Focuses on Cellini and Marchese

Last May, Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass focused on two of the principals who won the contract from Crystal Lake Mayor Aaron Shepley and his city council for the Route 14/Vulcan Lakes TIF contract: Bill Cellini andMichael Marchese Sunday, he … Continue reading

Kass Again Focuses on Cellini and Marchese

Last May, Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass focused on two of the principals who won the contract from Crystal Lake Mayor Aaron Shepley and his city council for the Route 14/Vulcan Lakes TIF contract: Bill Cellini andMichael Marchese Sunday, he … Continue reading

US Attorney Seeks Testimony from Jeff Ladd

The Chicago Tribune wrote yesterday that the U.S. Attorney’s Office is seeking “to compel Jeffrey Ladd, a heavyweight lawyer for health-care companies who has dealt with the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board, one of two boards (Ron Blagojevich rune raiser … Continue reading

US Attorney Seeks Testimony from Jeff Ladd

The Chicago Tribune wrote yesterday that the U.S. Attorney’s Office is seeking “to compel Jeffrey Ladd, a heavyweight lawyer for health-care companies who has dealt with the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board, one of two boards (Ron Blagojevich rune raiser … Continue reading