Public Safety Committee plans for the closure of Franciscan St. James in Chicago Heights

SSMMA’s Public Safety Committee met with hospital representatives, mayors, managers, and fire and police chiefs on June 6 to discuss the challenges the South Suburban region faces as inpatient and emergency services are slated to close at the Franciscan Health Chicago Heights (Franciscan St. James) facility by July 31, 2018. Challenges include a dwindling number of places for patient delivery, longer ambulance rides, ambulance to-and-from hospital turnaround times and increased bypass concerns when hospitals divert incoming ambulance traffic to other emergency rooms. In March 2016, Franciscan St. James had agreed to provide funding for additional ambulance coverage for some communities impacted by the closing of emergency room services in Chicago Heights. A related story is

here. More photos are here.