Westlake Hospital in Melrose Park, Ill., filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy yesterday citing economic and industry hardship caused by health care policy implemented at the state level, the Chicago Sun Times reported. Owners of the hospital say that it is losing nearly $3 million a month and no buyer has emerged for the facility that is about 80 percent empty. The owners also blame the $4 million in Medicaid funding lost through the Illinois Hospital Assessment Program in 2018. They also say that the village of Melrose Park withdrawing $500,000 for Westlake’s redevelopment plan has stifled growth. SRC Hospital Investment II LLC requested a chapter 7 bankruptcy trustee be to oversee the hospital. If the trustee chooses to close Westlake, CEO Jim Edwards said, current patients will be transferred to one of the nearby hospitals such as Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in Melrose Park, Loyola Medical Center in Maywood or West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park. Read more.
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