West Suburban Medical Center resumes hospital-based clinic, testing services after abrupt closure
Despite its sudden closure at the end of March, West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park said it is resuming hospital-based clinic and testing services Wednesday.
The resumption of these services will be done gradually, and are the first step in the hospital's reopening plan, officials said. Patients will be contacted by phone and email to schedule appointments.
Hospital officials said the clinic will offer primary care at first, then some specialist visits. It will also offer testing services. All services are outpatient only.
This is being funded by money recovered from the hospital's initial billing remediation process. Officials said a team of more than 100 people continue to work through more than 120,000 outstanding claims.
Emergency room and inpatient services are still suspended.
West Suburban blamed its abrupt shutdown on a computerized billing system, and has said it will reopen once it has the revenue needed to fund operations. Its owner said he has a plan to reopen the hospital by summer, but doctors who work at West Suburban doubted he could deliver on his promise.
State leaders have said the hospital faces serious financial trouble including debt, unpaid taxes and problems with its electronic billing system.
West Suburban is a safety net hospital which takes in patients regardless of whether they can pay. Its sudden closure left many patients on the West Side of Chicago and the city's west suburbs with fewer options for affordable health care.
Please note: The above video is from a previous report.