Nurses warn of impact of cuts at St. Joseph Medical Center under new owner Prime Healthcare
Some nurses and Illinois state lawmakers said on Monday that they are concerned about the future of St. Joseph Medical Center under its new for-profit owner, Prime Healthcare.
They are demanding answers after the company cut services and staffing, which they argue has left an unsafe number of workers on duty at St. Joseph at certain times.
"When our hospitals are being gutted in this way, without care of the community that it's leaving behind, we need to stand up and we need to make sure that we are listening to the constituents, that we are standing with the nurses, and that we are doing all that is possible to save the services that our communities deserve and need," said Illinois state Sen. Karina Villa (D-West Chicago).
The nurses said some of the other cuts include the indefinite suspension of pediatric care, and they said St. Joseph's is the only hospital with pediatrics in Joliet.
"More than 110 nurses have left in the year since Prime has taken over. Think about that. That's 110 nurses that no longer feel that they can protect their patients, they can no longer keep their license safe, and they can no longer keep their livelihood safe," said nurse Kathy Wolff.
In a statement, Prime Healthcare said St. Joseph experienced $90 million in annual losses before Prime bought the hospital from Ascension Health.
"Despite significant challenges, hundreds of jobs have been saved and created, all union positions retained and collective bargaining agreement honored—including staffing provisions negotiated with the [Illinois Nurses Association]," a Prime spokesperson said in a statement.
Prime said that it suspended inpatient pediatrics at St. Joseph "due to consistently low volume—fewer than one patient per day—making it impossible to ensure quality."
"Our focus remains clear: to strengthen access to care, support our caregivers, and ensure Saint Joseph Medical Center remains a high-quality, trusted resource for the Joliet community for generations to come," a spokesperson added.
