West Suburban Medical Center, Weiss Memorial now under Insight Health Systems
Two shuttered Chicago-area hospitals are under new control on Thursday morning.
An agreement reached in court on Wednesday night ended the year-long legal battle over the future of Weiss Memorial Hospital in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood and West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park.
Weiss closed its emergency department last August after losing access to Medicaid and Medicare funding.
West Suburban abruptly shuttered its doors in March, with the exception of some hospital-based clinic and testing services. Hospital leaders were hopeful West Suburban could reopen by July, but this did not happen.
According to records reviewed by the CBS News Chicago Investigators, the owners of West Suburban and Weiss Memorial as of June owed at least $8.9 million in property taxes for 2024 and 2025 tax years.
Both are safety-net hospitals, serving patients regardless of their ability to pay.
Ramco Healthcare Holdings bought out the former operator, and Insight Health Systems is taking over both hospitals. But the agreement alone does not reopen either campus.
The new operator still has a long list of requirements before these hospitals can reopen. Before reopening, Insight must restore Weiss's state license and secure accreditation and federal funding eligibility for both hospitals.
Community activists hope to meet with Insight on Thursday to demand a public timeline. Community members say the long legal fight left patients and former employees without answers.
The coalition wants Insight to meet with community groups within 30 days, set a public reopening timeline and give residents a continuing role in decisions about care.
