HIT Consultant April 14, 2021
In 1852, Mercy Hospital & Medical Center opened as Chicago’s first chartered hospital. In May, it will close, leaving residents of the surrounding South Side community — poor and mostly people of color — without a place to see a doctor. And it isn’t the only hospital closing.
At least 47 hospitals have closed or filed for bankruptcy in the last year, and there will surely be more to come. Last June, the AHA predicted hospitals would lose over $323 Billion in 2020 due to the pandemic. These losses will negatively impact the health of communities as hospitals cut back on staff and services. But for many hospitals, the revenue lost from patients staying home combined with the costs of...