Prime Healthcare to Suspend OB Services at Three Chicago-Area Hospitals
Prime Healthcare has announced the suspension of obstetrical (OB) services at three prominent Chicago-area hospitals: Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, Mercy Medical Center in Aurora, and Resurrection Medical Center in Chicago. This decision, according to Prime Healthcare, is due to "many years of financial distress, changes in ownership, declining birth rates and volumes, with less than one delivery a day," making it challenging to ensure high-quality care. The company plans to consolidate these services and develop Centers of Excellence for Maternal Care at Saint Mary of Nazareth Hospital in Chicago and Olympia Fields Hospital. These new centers aim to centralize and strengthen obstetrical services, providing coordinated care with experienced multidisciplinary teams. Prime Healthcare also stated that it would offer impacted employees other positions within its hospitals, noting that there are more open positions than those affected by the service suspension. Additionally, the company plans to provid...