Pediatrics unit at Joliet Saint Joseph hospital being shut down

The new owner of Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet plans to shut down its inpatient pediatrics unit.

The Illinois Nurses Association, which represents union nurses at the hospital, announced the pending pediatric unit closure, saying it would leave “thousands” of Joliet children without an in-town hospital for their needs.

Prime Healthcare, which took over Saint Joseph Medical Center on March 1, said the pediatric unit is barely seeing a patient a day and resources are being shifted to services in greater demand.

“As community needs continue to evolve, we have seen a steady and significant decline in the demand for inpatient pediatric services, with the average inpatient census now less than one patient per day,” a statement from Prime Healthcare said.

The dispute will go to state hospital regulators, who will review the planned closing of the pediatric unit.

The Illinois Nurses Association in its statement issued Monday said nurses will fight the proposed closure of the pediatrics unit, which requires approval from the state Hospital and Facilities Safety Review Board.

The unit could be shut down as soon as May 2, the union said.

According to the union, the pending closure of the pediatric unit is the latest cut by Prime, which also has closed more than half of the operating rooms at Saint Joseph Medical Center and has informed psychiatric doctors that their contracts with the hospital will be terminated.

“Not only does this mean the jobs of multiple doctors, nurses and other health care workers are at risk, but now the hospital will be unable to provide some of the basic services that our community relies on,” the union said in the release.

The pediatric unit would shut down for at least 12 months, and all seven nurses who work in the unit would be laid off, the INA said.

California-based Prime Healthcare took ownership of the Joliet hospital on March 1.

The layoffs violate Prime’s contract with the union by providing fewer than 30 days notice for layoffs, INA said in the release.

The union also accused Prime of going back on statements made to nurses and the Hospital and Facilities Safety Review Board that it would not close units within two years after taking over the Joliet hospital.

“Not only does this mean the jobs of multiple doctors, nurses and other health care workers are at risk, but now the hospital will be unable to provide some of the basic services that our community relies on,” the union said in the release.

By late March, Prime had closed eight of the 14 operating rooms at the hospital and reduced hours for the unit, INA said.

Psychiatric doctors have been informed that their contracts at the hospital will be canceled in 90 days, the union said.

“Prime officials looked us in the eyes and promised to put resources back into our hospital and to keep all our units open,” INA Executive Board Member Jeanine Johnson said in the release. “Instead, Prime is slashing multiple units so they can send higher profits back to their owners in California.”

Prime said it is moving resources to other hospital services in greater demand.

“To best serve our community, we have made the difficult but necessary decision to suspend inpatient pediatric services and expand other needed critical service lines,” the Prime Healthcare statement said. “We have already invested in state-of-the-art technology and systems to support these expanding services.”

Prime Healthcare did not specify where those investments have been made but said there has been a growing need for advanced surgical, neurosurgical, and spinal care.

Saint Joseph Medical Center will continue to provide emergency services for pediatric patients, Prime Healthcare said.

But a transfer arrangement has been made with Endeavor Health to treat pediatric patients in need of inpatient care. Endeavor Health is a Chicago regional hospital network. Its nearest hospital to Joliet is in Naperville.

According to Prime Healthcare, eight employees in Joliet are affected by the pending closure of the pediatric unit.

All eight “will be offered alternate roles within Saint Joseph Medical Center or other Prime Healthcare facilities,” the Prime Healthcare statement said.

Prime Healthcare when it took ownership of the Joliet hospital and other formerly Ascension facilities in Illinois said it would l invest $250 million into the properties for “facility upgrades, capital improvements, substantial technology investments and system upgrades,” according to a release.

Other hospitals that Prime acquired from Ascension are Holy Family Medical Center in Des Plaines, Mercy Medical Center in Aurora, Resurrection Medical Center in Chicago, Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston, Saint Joseph Hospital in Elgin, and Saint Mary of Nazareth Hospital in Chicago.