The Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board approved Brentwood, Tenn.-based Quorum Health's application to close MetroSouth Medical Center in Blue Island, Ill., on Oct. 22.
Quorum announced in June that it filed an application with the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board to close the 314-bed hospital, and employees were told in August that the hospital would close at the end of September.
On Sept. 17, the review board postponed a decision on whether to approve the closure after a lawsuit was filed against Quorum. Less than two weeks later, the hospital suspended all services and discharged all patients.
The state review board, which will discuss at a December meeting whether Quorum bypassed its authority by suspending services, approved the application to close the hospital on Oct. 22, according to the Chicago Tribune.
"We appreciate the Board's diligence in considering our application and recognize the importance of the Board's role in this process," a Quorum spokesperson said in a statement to Becker's Hospital Review. "We will now begin final wind down processes."
Quorum said it is involved in conversations with city leaders and healthcare providers about the possibility of finding a healthcare-related use for the hospital after it closes.
"We extend our gratitude to the employees who have devoted themselves to caring for our patients and the city of Blue Island," the Quorum spokesperson said. "This was not the outcome anyone wanted, but we know opportunities still exist to transform health care delivery in this community."
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