Earlier this month, the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association’s public safety committee met to discuss the impact of the closure of emergency services in Chicago Heights.
The meeting drew some 70 people, including first responders, area mayors as well as representatives from area hospitals, including Franciscan Health’s Chicago Heights and Olympia Fields hospitals, Advocate South Suburban in Hazel Crest, Ingalls Memorial in Harvey and hospitals from just across the border in Indiana, according to Kristi DeLaurentiis, executive director of the SSMMA and Thornton Mayor Bob Kolosh, chairman of the public safety committee.
The talk focused on “what is this going to mean as far as (emergency medical) calls and service,” DeLaurentiis said, describing the end of emergency medical services in Chicago Heights as “a looming challenge for our region…” Please click here to read Mike Nolan’s story in the Tribune/Daily Southtown. A related story is here in the Weekly Citizen.
Update (7/17/18): Closing of St. James ER pushed back 2 weeks. Read more.