(Caption: Onzell Brown, Roseland Hospital on the south side of Chicago, spoke at multiple press events at the State Capitol to demand that the Illinois Hospital Association produce a hospital assessment and new Medicaid formula that would protect safety nets).

For Immediate Release

CONTACT: james.muhammad@seiuhcil.org; or scott.vogel@seiuhcil.org;

(July 12th, 2018, Chicago) – SEIU Healthcare Illinois Indiana President Greg Kelley issued the following statement below after news broke today that South Shore Hospital is requesting $3 million dollars in emergency funding from Governor Bruce Rauner’s administration to keep its doors open. (SEIU HCII represents several safety net hospitals in Chicago and East St. Louis, including Roseland Hospital on the South Side, but does not represent Shore South Hospital).

“The fact that South Shore Hospital needs emergency funding from the State to keep its door open is yet more evidence that the Illinois Hospital Association’s (IHA) deeply flawed Hospital Provider Assessment program utterly failed to provide adequate funding and resources to our safety nets hospitals that serve low-income and communities of color.

“It is telling that South Shore received ‘flat funding’ under the new Provider Assessment when all of our safety nets should have received dramatically more financial resources to expand access to quality healthcare and strengthen our hospital workforce overall.

“This news today demonstrates that the IHA’s agenda and fundamental focus is to lobby, fund, advocate and support large corporate healthcare systems – and to show zero regard for funding and investing in our safety net hospitals that care for patients and families living in poverty. This current funding crisis at South Shore is an example of the IHA’s real agenda at work – to diminish the effectiveness of safety nets and shift federal Medicaid dollars into wealthier hospitals and corporate systems.

“We urgently call upon Gov. Rauner’s administration to move swiftly to allocate the $3 million that South Shore Hospital is urgently requesting. We also urge the administration to expedite money that has been allocated to both Roseland and St. Anthony’s Hospitals. It is vital that these healthcare providers remain open and accessible to stop any healthcare crisis for Medicaid patients and families who rely on emergency treatment and quality healthcare.

“Lastly, we call upon the General Assembly to hold the IHA accountable for how they controlled the Hospital Provider Assessment process this year and stop the hospital industry from having so much power and a monopoly over distributing Medicaid funding to Illinois’ hospitals.”

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