Unpaid bills, millions in medical debts lead suburban hospital to shutter ER

Lurie Children's expands to Chicago suburbs with new $480M hospital in Downers Grove

Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago has won state approval to build a proposed pediatric hospital and outpatient center in Downers Grove, clearing a major hurdle for a project designed to bring specialized children’s care closer to families in the western suburbs. The Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board approved the hospital’s Certificate of Need application, according to the hospital's announcement.

Waukegan's Vista Medical Center placed on EMS bypass after owner fails to make payroll

Ambulance trips from Waukegan could take four to five times longer after the state placed Vista Medical Center East on full EMS bypass following another failure by its owner to make payroll.

Fire departments warn of longer ambulance trips, less coverage amid issues Vista hospital

Multiple fire departments in the far northern suburbs warned residents this week that ambulances can no longer take patients to nearby Vista Medical Center East, forcing crews to travel farther to other hospitals and potentially leaving communities waiting longer for an available ambulance. The Illinois Department of Public Health notified...

Trouble operator of suburban hospital faces calls to sell it as issues mount

With ambulances now bypassing a hospital in Chicago's north suburbs and the facility losing its trauma designation, the troubled operator behind the struggling hospital is facing calls to sell as issues with the facility continue to mount. Illinois U.S. Congressman Brad Schneider has called for the operator of Waukegan’s Vista...

Cook County Jury Hits UI Health Doctors With $28M Birth Injury Verdict

University of Illinois Hospital — Reported Hospital of Defendant Doctors. A Cook County jury has awarded $28 million to a Bellwood family after their son suffered severe injuries during childbirth, a verdict that centers on accusations that University of Illinois Hospital doctors ignored repeated warning signs during labor. The mother argued that despite those signals, physicians failed to deliver her son by Cesarean section in time to prevent harm.

Tentative agreement could save troubled suburban hospital, physicians say

A tentative agreement could save the troubled Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan, but it's contingent on help from state lawmakers and Governor Pritzker, physicians told NBC Chicago Investigates. The hospital lost its designation as a Level 2 Trauma center in October, does not have a fully functioning emergency department...

Meet the unexpected team filling Chicago's mental health workforce shortage

When the pandemic hit, many artists were out of work. At the same time, behavioral health needs skyrocketed, with not enough professionals in the field to meet demand. In fact, according to the National Center for Health Workforce, the United States continues to experience a mental health crisis with increased levels of unmet behavioral health needs among people of all ages.

Cook County Hospital Fires Pharmacy Tech Over Vaccine Refusal, Appeal Fails

A federal appeals court has sided with Cook County in the case of a pharmacy technician who was fired from John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital in Chicago after she declined COVID-19 vaccination and was denied a religious exemption. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit affirmed the judgment against Jetaime Flores on November 6, upholding a December 2025 ruling by a federal judge in Chicago that had already gone against her.

Chicago Bochurim Hear Firsthand from the Rebbe’s Cardiologist

A group of Shluchim from Lubavitch Mesivta of Chicago visited the Rebbe’s cardiologist, Dr. Ira Weiss, on Rosh Chodesh Kislev for a special farbrengen and an opportunity to hear firsthand stories about the Rebbe. During the visit, the doctor shared memories from his years of connection with the Rebbe,...

Nearly $900,000 Raised to Improve Healthcare Access in Chicago and Milwaukee

CHICAGO, IL — A major fundraising initiative is bringing renewed attention to healthcare disparities and the need for greater investment in historically underserved communities across Chicago and Milwaukee. Advocate Health announced that its annual GATHER fundraising event raised nearly $900,000 to support healthcare access initiatives on Chicago’s South Side...

Pollutants in Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan, the largest freshwater lake in the world, is known for its urban coastlines and stunning views; yet, the lake has been polluted with 11 million pounds of plastic from industries with plants along the lake. Chicagoland citizens consume large amounts of microplastics as a result of this plastic...

Letter - Hospitals renew MA sales pitch while dropping popular plans

Medicare Open Enrollment runs from Oct. 15-Dec. 7. At this time especially, seniors are targeted with a ceaseless barrage of TV advertising for Medicare Advantage plans. These commercials are allowed to mislead and lie by omission, as I detail in my letters to The Hinsdalean of Nov. 7, 2023, and Oct. 17, 2024, easily accessed online.

UChicago Medicine AdventHealth’s Bolingbrook, GlenOaks, Hinsdale and La Grange hospitals leave UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage networks Jan. 1, 2027 in a mutual decision

UChicago Medicine AdventHealth’s four hospitals in Bolingbrook, GlenOaks, Hinsdale and La Grange will be out of network for UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans on Jan. 1, 2027. UnitedHealthcare says the two sides “made the mutual decision to end” their Medicare Advantage network relationship, which covers individual plans and group retiree plans. Members of those plans who […]

2 Legionnaires’ Disease Cases Linked to Evanston Hotel

Two confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease have been linked to the Hilton Garden Inn North Shore in Evanston, Illinois, after health officials detected Legionella bacteria in the hotel’s hot tub water system. Both individuals had visited the hotel’s pool and hot tub areas in August 2026. The...

Bridgeport residents dispute report dismissing impacts of proposed Amtrak yard

A new study suggests a proposed Amtrak maintenance yard in Bridgeport would not have an adverse impact on the thousands of residents there, but questions remain in the minds of residents and officials. The study was released by the Federal Railroad Administration on Friday. The report concluded that the impact...

Chicago-area Medicare enrollees can keep Endeavor Health in network in 2027 through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Essence Healthcare, Humana, UnitedHealthcare or Original Medicare

Chicago-area Medicare enrollees who want Endeavor Health hospitals and doctors in network for 2027 have five ways to do it: Original Medicare, or a Medicare Advantage plan from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Essence Healthcare, Humana or UnitedHealthcare. Endeavor says Aetna Medicare Advantage plans are the one carrier leaving its network, beginning Jan. 1, […] The post Chicago-area Medicare enrollees can keep Endeavor Health in network in 2027 through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Essence Healthcare, Humana, UnitedHealthcare or Original Medicare appeared first on The Money Overview .

Suburban hospital limits who's allowed in emergency room due to rise in respiratory illnesses

A suburban Chicago hospital announced plans to limit support people waiting in its emergency room as respiratory virus cases climb. Silver Cross Hospital on Thursday issued an alert saying "patients in the Emergency Department are limited to one support person in the waiting room at this time." The move was...

Inside the C-suite: Health system leaders on AI, access and a tough 2027

Chief Healthcare Executive interviewed leaders from Providence, Northwell, Intermountain Health, Kaiser Permanente, Mayo Clinic and more, on the pressing issues facing their systems and health care as a whole. Health system leaders are heading into 2027 facing Medicaid cuts, workforce strains and growing pressure to show real results from artificial...

59-Unit Tower Proposed for Old Kindred Hospital Site on Edgewater's Sheridan Road

6150 N. Sheridan Rd. — Approximate Site of Nearby 40-Unit Project. A vacant five-story building that once housed Kindred Hospital on North Sheridan Road in Edgewater could soon become a 59-unit residential development, with private balconies, a rooftop deck and a parking garage tucked behind the structure. The hospital closed in 2024, leaving the site at 6124-6144 North Sheridan Road empty ever since.