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West Side Community Rallies to Halt Closure of Bethany Hospital; Groups Denounce Advocate's Racially-Biased Investments

Posted on: Monday, 6 February 2006, 09:01 CST

News Advisory:

WHAT:

West Side community leaders and residents will gather to oppose Advocate Health Care's plan to close Bethany Hospital on Chicago's economically distressed West Side. If closed, more than 67,000 residents who rely on the Hospital for critical health care services including emergency room, intensive care, OB/GYN, and substance abuse will be forced to seek care at already over- crowded hospitals such as Cook County Hospital.

Religious and community leaders will hold a public meeting for community members to learn more about the pending closure and to call on Advocate to halt the unfair closure of Bethany Hospital.

WHO:

-- Illinois State Representatives Mary Flowers, Annazette Collins, Cynthia Soto, and Calvin Giles

-- Reverend Gregory Livingston, West Side Health Crisis Coalition

-- Bea Jackson, President of ACORN

-- Reverend Greer, Christian Valley Baptist Church

-- Reverend Cheryl Rivera, MAC West

-- Elce Redmond, SACCC

-- Local Bethany patients

WHEN:

Today, February 6 at 7 p.m.

WHERE:

1237 South Homan,

Christian Valley Baptist Church

WHY:

The Bethany closure would represent a reduction in Advocate's spending on health care for the West Side, prompting critics to charge that the company misled state regulators just months ago when it vowed to continue its commitment to its hospitals serving minority populations. In just the last year, Advocate committed more than $300 million to hospitals in affluent, predominantly white suburbs while spending little to nothing at inner-city hospitals that serve largely minority populations.

http://www.usnewswire.com

Source: U.S. Newswire

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