Court to hear fight between landlord, CEO at West Suburban Medical Center Monday

The fight to reopen West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, Illinois, continues Monday with the battle going to the courtroom.

Doctors, patients, and concerned community members will listen in Monday on two different cases related to the hospital. Both cases are scheduled for status hearings at 9:30 a.m.

At their core, the hearings involve two former business partners hurling major accusations against one another.

West Suburban Medical Center stopped most of its operations in March. The safety-net hospital, when open, would take in patients no matter their ability to pay.

Closing the facility has forced people on Chicago's West Side to travel farther for crucial care.

Hospital higher-ups initially blamed the shutdown on a billing issue that they said left the medical center short on cash.

The two men at the heart of the lawsuits being heard Monday are the chief executive officer of the hospital, Manoj Prasad, and the hospital's landlord, Rathnakar Reddy Patlola. They worked together to buy West Suburban Medical Center and the property on which it sits a few years ago.

In April, after West Suburban Medical Center abruptly closed, the hospital operator sued the landlord — accusing the property owner of failing to fix serious issues with the hospital's heating and cooling systems and elevators.

The medical center CEO further alleges that his former business partner disparaged him and sent the hospital "baseless" eviction notices.

In May, Patlola filed suit against West Suburban Medical Center, accusing Prasad of financial mismanagement and misappropriation of funds.

Patlola asked for West Suburban Medical Center to be placed under court-appointed control. A judge recently shot down that request.

A few weeks ago, an attorney or the landlord said both parties were engaged in good-faith discussion to restore care at West Suburban.