Oak Park leaders have responded with worry to the news that West Suburban Medical Center will close its patient operations indefinitely, putting the safety-net hospital’s future and hundreds of local jobs into question.
The hospital will halt patient care this week and “furlough many colleagues” as the system doesn’t have the money to cover its payroll, according to an email sent by Resilience Health CEO Manoj Prasad to the health system’s staff Wednesday morning. Prasad cited persistent issues with the hospital’s electronic billing and records system as causing a 90% loss in revenue for the hospital.
As of Wednesday, there were 70 patients at the hospital who needed to be transferred elsewhere by the end of the business day on Friday, according to the village.
Oak Park leaders responded to the news of the closure Wednesday afternoon.
“My heart goes out to every patient, family member and employee affected by this news,” Village President Vicki Scaman said. “Losing access to a hospital, even temporarily, is frightening and we recognize that for many in our community ‘West Sub’ wasn’t just the closest option, it was their only option. The village of Oak Park stands with all of those impacted and we will continue to do everything within our power to support them through this uncertainty.”
The village said that firefighters had been on the campus of West Sub Wednesday when they were told that the hospital would no longer be accepting ambulances. A Wednesday Journal inquiry last year found that just 7% of Oak Park ambulance rides went to West Sub’s emergency room, compared to the more than 80% that went to Rush Oak Park.
“From an operational standpoint, our immediate priorities are the continuity of care of Oak Park residents and affected patients, as well as the employment status for the many dedicated workers impacted by this suspension” said Village Manager Kevin Jackson. “As longstanding Oak Park institution, West Suburban Medical Center has been certainly a lifeline for our residents and neighbors across the community. This interruption of services is not easy for anyone to navigate, and the Village will do what it can within its purview to minimize disruptions for those affected by the suspension.”
Illinois Senate President Don Harmon of Oak Park also provided comment to Wednesday Journal on the closure.
“Our first priority is getting the patients safely relocated to other facilities,” Harmon said. Representative Lilly and I are doing everything we can to make sure that we retain a significant health care facility that serves the community’s needs. While West Suburban’s problems have been well documented, I was surprised by the sudden announcement. We’d been working to try to prevent this very situation. I’ve been in touch with state agency leaders and the governor’s office about next steps for the patients, the good folks who work at the hospital and overall community. West Suburban has long been a mainstay in our community. Our youngest daughter was born there, and I made more than a few visits to the ER when I was a boy. This is a sad day.”
State Rep. La Shawn Ford, who recently won the Democratic primary for Congress in the 7th congressional district, told Wednesday Journal: “Today’s closure of patient care services at West Suburban is a devastating blow to our community, which is already underserved in healthcare facilities. We cannot afford to lose vital services when so many depend on them.”
Ford said he and other electeds have worked to engage local partners and advocated for more support for West Suburban at a state level.
“It is critical that the state steps in to bolster Loretto Hospital to handle the increased demand and protect the health and wellbeing of our community,” Ford added. “The impact of this closure could mean the difference between life and death for those in need of immediate care.”