CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The State of Illinois said it can't close, so a South Side hospital is filing for bankruptcy.
Mercy Hospital and Medical Center filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, amid its plans to permanently close that have run into objections from the State of Illinois.
Mercy announced last summer that it planned to close sometime in 2021. The Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board rejected that plan in December. Two weeks ago, the state review board also rejected a plan to open an urgent care and diagnostic center on the South Side.
Mercy Hospital & Medical Center's owner Trinity Health said it was losing staff and experiencing “mounting financial losses” which challenged its ability to maintain a safe environment.
In a statement, the hospital said it lost $5 million a month during the first six months of the fiscal year - more than $30.2 million.
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Mercy now said it will cease all operations except emergency services on May 31.
The controversial hospital closure is on the agenda for the Illinois Health Facilities & Services Review Board meeting on Mar. 16.
Mercy is Chicago’s oldest hospital, and doctors and nurses there serve a population that’s been especially hard hit by COVID-19.