JOLIET, Ill. (WLS) — Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth were raising concerns Wednesday about cuts to the level of care at some local hospitals.
The hospitals are now owned by Prime Healthcare. They were recently purchased from Ascension.
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A spokesperson for Prime Healthcare says the for-profit company’s model is centered on investing in hospitals.
But nurses at St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet say, since the company acquired the hospital, they’ve instead seen cutbacks to services.
St. Joseph Medical Center is one of eight hospitals across the state that were bought by California-based Prime Healthcare back in March.
In April, the company announced it was suspending its in-patient pediatric care, citing a lack of demand for services.
“Our community deserves a pediatric department. We should not have to travel further for necessary care,” said Beth Corsetti, a registered nurse at St. Joseph Medical Center.
Corsetti said there are cutbacks to other Prime Healthcare hospitals in the area.
Mercy Medical Center in Aurora lost its Level 2 trauma designation, and St. Mary’s Hospital in Kankakee is no longer a location for childbirth.
“They promised to invest in our community, and they have not,” Corsetti said.
The changes are getting the attention of both Illinois senators.
Durbin and Duckworth addressed a letter to the founder of the company, stating, “We earnestly urge your health system to reconsider these decisions immediately. The implications of these reductions could deprive patients of essential and specialized care, create additional obstacles in accessing services, and worsen the current healthcare needs in the communities these hospitals support.”
Prime Healthcare released a statement saying, “These eight Illinois hospitals were experiencing significant financial challenges, losing close to $200 million annually—an unsustainable situation that jeopardized access to care. Our mission is to sustain and enhance these community hospitals, ensuring continued access to safe, high-quality healthcare for the long term.”
Meanwhile, the Illinois Nurses Association is keeping a close eye on the developments.
“What we would like to see from Prime is just sort of to keep on their promises. They promised to invest in our community. They promised to invest in our hospital,” said Kaitlynd French, with the Illinois Nurses Association.
Some nurses from St. Joseph will gather Wednesday evening for a town hall meeting to discuss the changes at the hospital and how it will affect the community.
That will be at the Joliet library, located at 3395 Black Road from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
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