This month, a self-storage manager will begin his second year of a two-year appointment on the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board.

Ronald Eaker, 63, is manager of Park 150 Self-Service Storage in Urbana. Hes also a former United Methodist minister and former nursing-home administrator. A series of heart attacksand resulting medical billssparked his interest in becoming an advocate for patients.

The nine-member health-review board is charged with approving or denying permits to hospitals, clinics and other medical providers. The certificates of need can include acquisitions of medical equipment, mergers, closures and other changes to facilities and services. Recent decisions include denying the development of new outpatient surgery centers, and approval of a medical campus expansion.

In May, Eaker voted against the closure and conversion of Oak Forest Hospital, a suburban charity hospital. The closure didnt receive the five votes it needed to proceed.

Eaker said he takes his role on the board seriously, weighing each decision to determine whats in the best interest of the communities he serves.

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