MetroSouth Medical Center Will Close Unless A New Owner Steps Up

MetroSouth Medical Center, 12935 S. Gregory St., in Blue Island recently announced plans to close the facility by the end of the year. Photo Caption: MetroSouth Medical Center
MetroSouth Medical Center, 12935 S. Gregory St., in Blue Island recently announced plans to close the facility by the end of the year. Photo Caption: MetroSouth Medical Center

MetroSouth Medical Center Will Close Unless A New Owner Steps Up

BY KATHERINE NEWMAN

South Suburban residents are yet again facing the closure of a community medical center. This time, it’s MetroSouth Medical Center, 12935 S. Gregory St., in Blue Island that has announced their facility will be closing by the end of the year if a new operator doesn’t step up and continue providing medical services at the MetroSouth Campus.

“Closing the hospital is an immensely difficult and emotional decision, but the data is clear that patient needs have changed here and across the country.

Enormous half-empty hospitals are not what the future of healthcare looks like,” said John Walsh, chief executive officer of MetroSouth Medical Center. “Reuse of this campus as an outpatient center would be a benefit for the community. We are diligently pursuing such an opportunity, but we know the facility will not be able to operate into 2020 as a full-service community hospital.”

In a press release from MetroSouth Medical Center, the hospital shared that patient volumes have been decreasing since 2014 and that “increasing market saturation, reduced reimbursement from government and commercial payers, and ongoing operational losses contributed to the hospital’s decision.”

Over the last two years, MetroSouth claims to have reached out to nearly 40 healthcare organizations looking for someone that would be willing to take over the facility and continue providing healthcare services for the community but so far, they haven’t had any luck, according to a press release from Metro South Medical Center.

“The MetroSouth Center is vital to this region because it provides access to quality healthcare as well as being a significant regional economic engine. I am going to do everything I can at the state and local level to bring stakeholders to protect both the critical healthcare services that the residents of Blue Island and the surrounding communities depend on and the jobs our community needs to thrive,” said Illinois Representative Bob Rita (D-Blue Island).

If MetroSouth Medical Center does in fact close, former patients will have to look to neighboring communities for their medical needs. There are several hospitals and medical centers within a 10-mile radius including Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey and Advocate South Suburban Hospital in Hazel Crest.

However, Rep. Rita said that rerouting people with medical needs to nearby communities isn’t a good solution to this problem and closing MetroSouth Medical Center will have negative and long-lasting consequences.

“The poor state of healthcare accessibility in our country is alarming and a closure of MetroSouth Medical Center will only make matters worse. Over 70 percent of the patients served by MetroSouth are on some form of Medicare or Medicaid. And even though the next nearest hospital is roughly 4.5 miles away, that will still force people and paramedics to drive an additional 15 minutes in light traffic. Heavier traffic will add to that time, and in emergency situations, the additional time could mean the difference between life and death,” said Rep. Rita.

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