Illinois State Representatives To Join Community, Staff At Mercy Hospital Rally

CHICAGO (CBS)-- Illinois state representatives will join community groups and hospital staff at a rally Wednesday to keep Mercy Hospital's doors open.

The announcement of Mercy Hospital's impending closure seemed to come out of the blue.

Rally participants argue closing the hospital would layoff about 1,700 workers, while leaving roughly 50,000 patients without a nearby care center.

The nearest hospital is three miles away.

An online petition to save Mercy Hospital has collected more than 4,000 signatures since it was started on Sunday.