A strategic plan to convert south suburban Chicago's struggling Oak Forest (Ill.) Hospital into a regional outpatient health center has been met with opposition from the community, according to a Bloomberg Businessweek report.
The 213-bed hospital is part of Cook County Health and Hospitals System — the largest healthcare provider to the state's poor and uninsured. Approximately 40 patients are admitted to the hospital per day, and the county hopes to save $25 million by converting it to an immediate care center.
Testimonies from local residents at a public hearing included chiding and heckling of county speakers and accusations of class bias. The hearing's testimonies will now move to the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board, which is expected to reconsider the hospital's closure, planned for May 10.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said a denial from the state board may ultimately be deemed a state agency attempt to require Cook County to maintain certain inpatient services which are not within its budget "and, thus, would be tantamount to an unfunded mandate," according to the report.
Read the Bloomberg Businessweek report on Oak Forest Hospital.
Read more about Cook County Health and Hospitals:
- CEO William Foley Resigns From Chicago's Cook County Health System
- Cook County Health System Moves Forward With Plans to Close Oak Forest Hospital
- Illinois' Cook County Hospital Execs See Pay Bumps While Planning Service Reductions
The 213-bed hospital is part of Cook County Health and Hospitals System — the largest healthcare provider to the state's poor and uninsured. Approximately 40 patients are admitted to the hospital per day, and the county hopes to save $25 million by converting it to an immediate care center.
Testimonies from local residents at a public hearing included chiding and heckling of county speakers and accusations of class bias. The hearing's testimonies will now move to the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board, which is expected to reconsider the hospital's closure, planned for May 10.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said a denial from the state board may ultimately be deemed a state agency attempt to require Cook County to maintain certain inpatient services which are not within its budget "and, thus, would be tantamount to an unfunded mandate," according to the report.
Read the Bloomberg Businessweek report on Oak Forest Hospital.
Read more about Cook County Health and Hospitals:
- CEO William Foley Resigns From Chicago's Cook County Health System
- Cook County Health System Moves Forward With Plans to Close Oak Forest Hospital
- Illinois' Cook County Hospital Execs See Pay Bumps While Planning Service Reductions