Prime Healthcare ending obstetrics services at 3 Chicago-area hospitals on Thursday, tell me about this news in (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/prime-healthcare-ending-obstetrics-services-at-3-chicago-area-hospitals-on-thursday/ar-AA2dlqeV?ocid=BingNewsVerp)
01-10-2026
Prime Healthcare officially ended obstetrics (OB) and maternity services at three Chicago-area hospitals on Thursday, October 1:
St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet
Mercy Medical Center in Aurora
Resurrection Medical Center in Chicago (Norwood Park)
Consolidation Plan: The California-based health system plans to centralize its obstetrical care at two other facilities in the region: St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital in Chicago’s Ukrainian Village and Olympia Fields Hospital in south suburban Olympia Fields.
Prior Acquisition: Prime Healthcare took over operations of these facilities following its acquisition of eight Ascension Illinois hospitals in 2025.
Community and Staff Pushback: The decision has sparked strong backlash from healthcare workers, community members, and lawmakers:
Nurses’ Rallies: Registered nurses and union representatives, including staff at St. Joseph Medical Center, held demonstrations protesting the shutdown of maternity wards and special care nursery units. They warned that these closures threaten maternal and infant health and create critical service gaps across the surrounding communities.
Congressional Criticism: Lawmakers, including U.S. Representative Lauren Underwood (a registered nurse representing the district containing Mercy Medical Center), criticized the rapid closures as profit-driven. She raised major concerns over whether neighboring facilities (such as Silver Cross Hospital and Edward Hospital) had finalized transfer agreements in time to safely absorb the influx of expectant mothers.