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Hospital Chief Speaks to Reform Commission
A hospital chief who wore a federal wire to help stop corruption in Illinois was the star witness before the Joint Commission on Government Reform at the Capitol Tuesday. Pam Davis is CEO of Naperville's Edward Hospital, which was seeking a state certificate of need for a proposed facility in Plainfield. Davis' decision to become a whistleblower is credited with helping bring down two associates of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich -- Stuart Levine and Tony Rezko.

Davis said her ordeal took a physical, stressful toll -- her fingernails became brittle and fell off. The legislation for which she testified would cost two men their jobs: Jeffrey Mark, the executive secretary of the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board; and David Carvalho, deputy director of the Illinois Department of Public Health. Neither man is accused of wrongdoing but would be held accountable because the corruption happened on their watch.

Another witness, Ed Petka, a former judge and former state senator, provided testimony rich in irony. He said when he questioned members of the planning board about their own $25,000 contributions to Blagojevich, he received "a mantra about...contributing to the most open and honest government the state had ever seen." He added that his own trip to the emergency room a few weeks ago would have given him much better access, had Edward Hospital played ball for the site in Plainfield.

(Illinois Radio Network)
05 06 09 by Newsroom
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