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OAK PARK, Ill. — West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park officially ceased operations on Friday, marking the end of its long-standing service to the community.
ABC7 Chicago reported that numerous patients only discovered the hospital’s imminent closure on Thursday, leaving many surprised by the sudden announcement.
Dr. Manoj Prasad, CEO of Resilience Health, revealed on Wednesday that both West Suburban and Weiss Hospital in Uptown would temporarily halt their operations due to unresolved issues with the billing system.
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Originally established in 1914, West Suburban Medical Center was once renowned for its exceptional training programs and patient care. However, the hospital officially shut its doors on Friday.
In the days leading up to the closure, the hospital witnessed a flurry of activity, with first responders and medical staff busy transferring patients to other medical facilities to ensure continued care.
“It used to be like a big home, a big community when you came here. Very loving,” physical therapist Marlene Wesol-Cid said.
Wesol-Cis has been a physical therapist there for nearly 30 years.
“We have a big dedicated staff people who have been here for years and years and try to do the best for our patients we can,” Wesol-Cid said.
“It’s just heartbreaking, just hoping the best for everyone moving forward,”physical therapist Abby Sullivan said. “There are no good words to put to everything that’s been going on.”
The sudden closure leaves nearby healthcare providers wondering how they will be impacted.
A spokesperson for RUSH Oak Park confirms staff there are preparing for more patients.
Dr. Paul Luning is the Chief Medical Officer at PCC Community Wellness Center, which has 15 healthcare centers in the area. Luning shared that he began his career as a resident at West Suburban.
“It’s painful, both emotionally and intellectually, because we know the hospital is not going to be able to serve patients we’ve been able to serve for 30 years,” Dr. Luning said.
Perhaps an example of the impact of West Suburan closing, ABC7 was told a patient came to PCC on Lake Street needing emergency care. Instead of the ambulance going to a hospital nearby, where ABC7 was told the emergency rooms were busy with extra West Suburban patients, the ambulance went to another hospital further away in the city.
“It’s tough when patients don’t have the options they deserve,” Dr. Luning said.
PCC will continue to operate its urgent care and appointments in the office building of West Suburban, but anyone who needs emergency care will need to go elsewhere.
The Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board reports the suspension in services requires the owner to file a report every 30 days, and if the suspension is not lifted after a year, the owner needs to file for an extension or discontinue operations permanently.
The furloughs at West Suburban come seven months after Weiss Memorial Hospital in Uptown, which is also owned by Resilience, was largely shuttered.
Weiss Hospital stopped in-patient and emergency care months ago when it was kicked off the Medicare program over conditions inside the hospital.
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