Chicago’s Weiss Memorial Hospital in Uptown to Close Friday as Medicare Funding Expires

CHICAGO (WLS) — A Chicago hospital locked the doors Friday morning.

It appears Weiss Memorial in the Uptown neighborhood is now closed.

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As of 7 a.m., it appears it is closed after someone locked the doors.

In a significant blow to this diverse community, activists are organizing a rally to make a final attempt to save Weiss, a crucial safety net hospital that many neighborhood residents depend on for healthcare.

Weiss Memorial Hospital has been in the neighborhood for decades.

The hospital’s closure was necessitated by a notification from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, stating the hospital’s termination from the Medicare program, which will take effect this coming Saturday.

The agency says Weiss is out of compliance in:
-Nursing services
-Food & dietary services
-Physical environment
-Emergency services.

The Illinois Department of Public Health said there are no longer any patients being housed at Weiss Hospital.

State Representative Hoan Huynh, a patient himself, along with several other lawmakers and Chicago City Council members, has signed a letter requesting an eight-week extension for the hospital’s Medicare inclusion.

“We are working on a plan right now with the ownership to see how we can get the hospital back up and running again,” Rep. Huynh said.

This is not the first issue Weiss has had recently.

Back in June, hospital’s HVAC system quit causing patients to be transferred to other hospitals.

The Illinois Department of Public Health issued the following statement on Thursday:
“IDPH is closely monitoring the developments concerning Weiss Memorial Hospital. Currently, there are no patients admitted at Weiss. The IDPH remains committed to enforcing all relevant rules and regulations to ensure appropriate standards of care are upheld.”