It appears a key decision on plans for a new, downsized Saint Elizabeth hospital in Ottawa will wait until the new year.
OSF HealthCare is asking the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board to defer for six months its permit applications to close the current hospital and build a new, smaller one nearby.
The permits were already deferred once last month. OSF officials say they want to keep talking to leaders in the city of Ottawa who oppose the projects.
OSF reopened the former Saint Margaret's hospital in Peru as a second campus of Saint Elizabeth earlier this year. The Peoria-based health care system now wants to shift some services from Ottawa to Peru.
State regulators have already approved expanding service in Peru.
