SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Illinois Department of Public Health's Long Term Care Advisory Board will hold a public forum Wednesday to give interested parties a chance to express their views about nursing home trends and issues.

"The public is encouraged to comment on how the system is working for families and residents of long-term care facilities," said Dr. Eric E. Whitaker, state public health director. "This is the first time the board has held such a forum and it is a great opportunity for people to express their opinions."

The public forum will be held from 10 a.m. to noon at the Crowne Plaza Silversmith, 10 S. Wabash Ave. in Chicago. The board's regular meeting will be held from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

The 14-member board is appointed by the director to consult with the Department and the residents' advisory councils at nursing homes in Illinois and to advise the Department on the creation of new rules pertaining to the Nursing Home Care Act.

The board meets four times a year and the public is welcome to attend. Two of the four meetings each year will include a public forum. A similar public forum is planned for Springfield this fall, but a date and location have yet to be finalized.

Advanced registration is not required, but persons interested in testifying are encouraged to contact the Department's Division of Long Term Care at 217-785-9181. Those making presentations are asked to inform the Department of the topic they wish to discuss and to submit a written copy of their comments.

Persons who do not contact the Department in advance may fill out a form prior to the meeting asking to make a presentation. The form must be filled out or the speaker must be on the agenda in order to make a presentation to the board. The amount of time allotted per presenter will depend on the number of persons presenting on that day.

If questions are asked of the board, they will be answered to the extent possible. If a question cannot be answered, the board will provide a response to the question at the next board meeting.