Roseland Community Hospital will pay workers next week, union says long-term solution needed
Workers at Roseland Community Hospital were concerned they might not get their paycheck next week, but have learned they will, and say long-term solutions are still needed.
SEIU Healthcare union leaders at the South Side safety-net hospital were notified recently that the June 30 payroll was in jeopardy.
On Wednesday, the hospital confirmed they will be able to make payroll next week. While union leaders said they are relieved, they said it's still crucial to find a long-term funding solution.
In a statement, the union said, "We are committed to working with safety net CEOs and administrators...to find a path forward that addresses the systemic underfunding of historically marginalized communities and builds sustainable solutions that keep our community safety net hospitals open..."
Roseland's 2025 Medicare cost report shows an operational deficit of more than $16 million.
This comes after West Suburban Medical Center, another safety net hospital, shocked patients and workers when it shut its doors abruptly back in March. Time ticks as to whether the financially strapped facility will reopen.
"There are still invoices that's unpaid from West Suburban in the millions," said Rep. LaShawn Ford. "This hospital could lose its license by September if it's not open."
Ford says across Illinois, safety-net hospitals are struggling to make ends meet, mainly because they serve a majority of uninsured and Medicaid patients.
"This budget, we allocated over $100 million plus for safety net hospitals, but of course, we need support from the federal government," he said.
Over at West Suburban, the CEO and landlord are fighting it out in court. The two claims financial mismanagement and misappropriation of funds. Ford says the legal disputes must come to an end for the community's sake.
"I think that we need to make sure that the owners recognize that they should have a fiduciary responsibility to the people in this community, and figure out a way to transition to a viable, community-led effort to reopen this hospital," he said.
Thursday morning, there's another court hearing about West Suburban's status.
As for Roseland Hospital, CBS News Chicago has reached out to the hospital CEO for comment, but has not yet heard back.
