Officials in Uptown, Chicago Aim to Preserve Weiss Memorial Hospital Amid Looming Medicare Cuts

CHICAGO (WLS) — A Chicago hospital could be closing in a few days.

Weiss Memorial Hospital is set to lose its Medicare agreement, effective Saturday.

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The North Side hospital has been a constant in the Uptown neighborhood. It is now in jeopardy, but some hope to save Weiss Hospital.

On Thursday, a group of patients and local residents assembled outside Weiss Memorial Hospital, holding up signs in Vietnamese that read, “Invest in our community save Weiss Hospital.”

Phong Nguyen said Weiss has been his hospital for 50 years. He said he was well cared for through several serious illnesses.

‘We love them we love them and support to them,” Nguyen said.

Illinois State Representative Hoan Huynh, who made history as the first Vietnamese-American elected to a statewide office from the 13th District, is also a patient at Weiss. He mentioned having met with the hospital’s management and the federal body supervising Medicare and Medicaid.

“The situation is quite dire,” Huynh said.

Representative Huynh pointed out that Medicare is the primary source of revenue for the hospital. He has requested a delay in the decision to maintain the hospital’s certification from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

“This hospital had been since the 50’s, its service generations of Americans here so we need to make sure this hospital is sustainable,” Huynh said.

In a letter to Weiss, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services indicated that “Louis A. Weiss Memorial Hospital as a part of the Medicare program will face termination effective August 9, 2025.”

According to CMS, within the past nine months, surveys revealed that Weiss has failed to comply with standards in nursing services, food and dietary services, physical environment, and emergency services.

Lilly Le is with the Vietnamese Association of Illinois, which is based in Uptown.

“It’s crucial for us to extend the deadline and ensure the federal government recognizes this as a solvable issue that requires their collaboration with our community and management to improve things,” Le stated.

ABC7 reached out to the owner of Weiss Hospital as well as their media relations department, but have not gotten a response. Employees ABC7 approached said they were not permitted to speak with the media.

The Illinois Department of Public Health shared the following statement Thursday:
“IDPH continues to monitor developments around the status of Weiss Memorial Hospital. There are currently no patients housed at Weiss. IDPH remains committed to ensuring that all applicable rules and regulations are followed to ensure appropriate standards of care.”