CHICAGO – Weiss Memorial Hospital on Chicago’s North Facet may shut down a few of its operations following its elimination from federal Medicaid and Medicare packages.
What we all know:
The hospital, situated within the Uptown neighborhood, is reportedly scaling again considerably after being dropped from key federal packages.
In keeping with Block Membership Chicago, the transfer will end in a broad discount of providers beginning Friday, although some departments—together with radiology, cardiology and ladies’s well being—are anticipated to stay open.
Neighborhood activists counsel the hospital’s emergency room was set to shutter at 7 a.m.
Sufferers might be transferred to different close by hospitals as Weiss winds down, in line with reviews.
What they’re saying:
Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin acknowledged rising considerations concerning the hospital’s high quality of care and affected person security.
“Now we have been in contact with them to actually examine some reviews that we’ve acquired concerning the high quality of care and security for the sufferers. That’s the backside line right here,” Durbin stated. “And a few questions have been raised and we communicated these to Weiss. We’re going to proceed to observe that, however I believe what you’re listening to there’s something that’s being heard by different hospitals as properly. What concerning the future?”
What’s subsequent:
Activists plan to rally exterior the hospital Friday afternoon to name for its full reopening.
“With the hospital closing, the hundreds of sufferers and a whole lot of employees who depend upon Weiss Memorial Hospital for his or her healthcare and livelihoods might be frolicked to dry. That is half of a bigger story of disinvestment, company neglect of neighborhood, safety-net hospitals like Weiss and personal, for-profit hypothesis in Uptown,” Hannah Gelder, Director of Organizing for ONE Northside, stated in a information launch.
The backstory:
In June, a major air-con failure occurred at Weiss throughout a citywide warmth wave, prompting affected person transfers and repair disruptions.
On the time, most sufferers have been moved to the hospital’s sister facility, West Suburban Medical Middle, or to different close by hospitals. Outpatient providers and ancillary departments at Weiss remained in operation.
Weiss Memorial Hospital and West Suburban Medical Middle are owned by Resilience Healthcare, which acquired each services after former proprietor Pipeline Well being System filed for chapter in 2022.
The Supply: The knowledge on this article was obtained from Block Membership Chicago and neighborhood activists.
