March 12, 2021 – The state of Illinois is being asked to buy Mercy Hospital (Chicago, IL) temporarily, for $1.
The hospital’s future has been in limbo for months, according to local news station CBS 2.
Mercy Hospital is owned by Trinity Health Services, which has a non-binding agreement to sell the hospital to Insight Chicago.
Last week, a coalition of community leaders demanded a voice in the decision-making process. Chicago Alderman Sophia King said she wants the state to step in.
“We’re here today to call on the governor and others to help provide the best path forward for Mercy. Not the most expedient, but the best path forward,” King said. “We are proposing that the state purchase Mercy Hospital for a dollar, temporarily, including the real estate Mercy sits on.”
King and other South Side leaders want mercy to remain a full service hospital. They’re calling on Governor JB Pritzker to enact a full assessment to determine what Mercy needs to move forward.