MetroSouth Medical Center in Blue Island has informed its staff and medical employees it plans to shut by Sept. 30.
The hospital has requested permission of state regulators to shut however says within the letter it should plan to wind down operations whereas awaiting a ruling from the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board.
In June, MetroSouth mentioned it could be pressured to shut the 314-bed hospital by the top of 2019 if a purchaser wasn’t discovered. It has misplaced 10% of its employees since searching for permission to shut.
In a letter to employees dated Monday, MetroSouth CEO John Walsh wrote that “we have explored every option that would preserve at least a portion of the hospital’s current services.”
”There stays no events dedicated to imagine and keep the operations of the hospital,” the letter said. “I understand there are rumors circulating about potential operators, but to date we have found no organization with the resources willing to sign a binding agreement.”
Blue Island Mayor Domingo Vargas disputes MetroSouth’s claims {that a} purchaser hasn’t emerged. Vargas mentioned he is aware of a possible non-public purchaser and “two other institutions” with curiosity in buying the hospital that has served the south suburbs for over 100 years.
He couldn’t disclose the potential patrons’ names due to confidentiality agreements.
“Right now we are trying to confirm they have the money to buy the hospital and we’ve requested they send us all the financial documents,” Vargas mentioned. “We want to find out if the money exists so that we can tell the residents we are going to save the hospital.”
Vargas mentioned the closing of MetroSouth could have a “domino effect” on different companies in Blue Island. MetroSouth, with 800 staff, it the south suburb’s largest employer.
State Rep. Bob Rita, D-Blue Island, referred to as the closing announcement “reckless and irresponsible.”
“MetroSouth’s announcement that they will shut down hospital operations with barely a month’s notice is disappointing and unacceptable,” Rita mentioned Tuesday. “For months, we have asked for additional time and continued negotiations to reach a solution that protects patient safety while creating stability for our medical professionals and the doctors and nurses who serve our community every day.”
“This eleventh-hour decision to move up the hospital’s closing date and put South Suburban patients at risk is reckless and irresponsible. Their application for closure to the Health Facilities and Services Review Board is not even up for review until Sept. 17 and they’re already planning to close down two weeks later.”
MetroSouth has maintained it’s bleeding cash.
The facility misplaced a mean of $2 million a 12 months from 2014 by way of 2017, Walsh mentioned at a public assembly in July. Then, final 12 months, MetroSouth suffered an $8.four million loss and is on observe to lose greater than $10 million this 12 months.
Manny Ramos is a corps member of Report for America, a not-for-profit journalism program that goals to bolster Sun-Times protection of Chicago’s South Side and West Side.