West Suburban Medical Center reopens some services as Rep. LaShawn Ford urges caution

West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park has partially reopened outpatient clinic and testing services, and state Rep. LaShawn Ford advised people not to use the hospital, saying there are no assurances its operations are safe.

West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, Illinois, abruptly closed several weeks ago and has now partially reopened. Hospital officials said outpatient clinic and testing services will be resumed gradually and that patients will be contacted to schedule appointments. The owner and CEO, Dr. Manoj Prasad of Resilience Healthcare, said billing system failures and problems inherited when he bought the hospital contributed to the shutdown and that he aims for a fuller reopening by summer. Illinois state Rep. LaShawn Ford publicly advised residents not to go to the hospital, saying there are no assurances about operational safety. Key points: - The hospital closed abruptly weeks ago and has resumed limited outpatient clinic services and testing, with appointments arranged by phone or email. - Officials said the phased reopening is funded by money recovered through a billing remediation effort and that staff are working through more than 120,000 outstanding claims. - Rep. LaShawn Ford said he advises people not to use the hospital and described the reopening as lacking a clear plan for safety. - An eviction notice has been posted on the hospital door, and the facility reportedly owes tens of millions of dollars to the State of Illinois and other creditors. Summary: The partial reopening restores some outpatient care to a community that lost a safety-net hospital, but public warnings from an elected official and the posted eviction notice leave the hospital’s operational and legal status unclear. Dr. Prasad has said he plans a fuller reopening by summer. Undetermined at this time.