St. Francis Hospital in Blue Island Will Close

By Susan Erler, The Times, Munster, Ind.

Apr. 3–Facing mounting financial losses and unable to find a buyer, St. Francis Hospital & Health Center in south suburban Blue Island, Ill., will close, St. Francis parent SSM Health Care said Wednesday.

Owners had offered to sell or even give away the hospital, which was founded in 1905, St. Louis-based SSM Health Care said in a prepared statement.

The lone offer, from Nashville-based Transition Healthcare Co., fell through when a financial partner withdrew from the deal, SSM said.

St. Francis is expected to lose $20 million this year, on top of the $40 million lost since 2002, SSM said.

The hospital had become unable to cover the cost of providing care to a growing number of uninsured and government insured patients, SSM President and Chief Executive Officer Sister Mary Jean Ryan said in the press statement.

“Ultimately, until and unless society accepts the fact that hospitals — or health systems — cannot bear the financial burden alone, we will see other hospitals fail and more people hurt,” Ryan said.

Crisis counselors were made available to the hospital’s more than 1,400 employees, and a career center at St. Francis is expected to help workers find jobs in the area or within the SSM system, SSM said.

SSM Home Care and Hospice operations at St. Francis will close if no buyer can be found for them.

The hospital will remain open until SSM receives state approvals to close.

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