Story thread · 2 reports / 2 sources

Patients call on Pritzker to reopen Weiss, West Suburban hospitals

suntimes.com · 14dShare

Chicago's Uptown and Austin communities have each been down a safety-net hospital for months. In Uptown, it's been nearly a year since Weiss Memorial Hospital closed its doors . In Austin, it's been four months since West Suburban Medical Center on the eastern edge of Oak Park stopped serving patients . Meanwhile, the two owners of both hospitals have been locked in a bitter legal battle in Cook County court for months. Stuck on the sidelines are patients like Phong Nguyen. The 81-year-old Vietnamese refugee and long-time Uptown resident depended on Weiss for years to treat conditions including arthritis and tuberculosis. "When Weiss closed last August, I was there fighting to reopen this very important hospital," Nguyen said through a translator during a Tuesday rally at Daley Plaza. "Now, almost a year later, I am still here with my community and neighbors, still fighting for our hospital that we have lost. ... I stand with everyone today to make it clear: This is a public health eme

First report: State Should Help Reopen Uptown’s Weiss Hospital, Neighbors Say: ‘We Need Affordable Healthcare’ — blockclubchicago.org, 14d