The sideshow theatrics playing out in Cook County Court may resolve past financial issues with West Sub Hospital, but it will not address its future. Continuing to try to breathe life into a dying facility will do nothing but delay its inevitable death. To resurrect it, will require hundreds of millions of dollars in internal facility renovations and equipment upgrades, recruitment of a new medical and professional staff and a vision that aligns with the needs of Oak Park/Austin.
It will also require adequate ongoing financial support through enhanced Medicare, Medicaid and commercial insurance payers, none of which appear to be on the horizon. Absent a coherent plan to transition the services to be able to provide adequate community-based preventive, ambulatory and emergency services to its patients (and not just reopening a building), the “rebirth” of West Sub will just repeat what most already know — as a hospital facility it is dying a very slow death, with yet another new owner.
Gary Wainer
Oak Park