It appears Weiss Memorial in the Uptown neighborhood is now closed.
Someone locked the doors about 7 a.m.
It's the worst possible news for a diverse community. Because the neighborhood and its residents rely on the safety net hospital for healthcare, activists planned a rally in a last ditch effort to save Weiss.
The 239-bed Weiss Memorial Hospital has been in the neighborhood for decades.
It serves an ethnically diverse population of mostly low-income residents, the elderly and people of color.
A letter, sent by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said the hospital will no longer be a part of the Medicare program, effective this Saturday.
The agency says Weiss is out of compliance in nursing services, food and dietary services, physical environment and emergency services.
The Illinois Department of Public Health said there are no longer any patients being housed at Weiss Hospital.
State Rep. Hoan Huynh is a patient and one of several lawmakers and Chicago City Council members who signed a letter asking for an eight-week extension of the hospital's Medicare.
"We are working on a plan right now with the ownership to see how we can get the hospital back up and running again," Rep. Huynh said.
"We are talking about people in our community who will die if they don't have access to a safety unit hospital that is accessible, that is affordable, that is a known quantity in our community," 7th District state Sen. Mike Simmons said.
The hospital's owner says he hopes to reopen as soon as possible. He plans to appeal or reapply for certification.
"That outcome was entirely unexpected at Weiss Memorial. It was entirely unprecedented, and I've been doing this for 30-plus years, never seen it," Dr. Manoj Prasad said. "All of this needs funding; I am coming to save our community hospitals. I am living here now. So, it's my community, as well. I'm jumping in to save community hospitals; no one else was willing to."
Prasad stood with some state legislators Friday, who emphasize the importance of community hospitals and the challenges to keep them open.
He says he understands the closure is an inconvenience but appreciates community support.
"I don't understand the logic behind some of these hospitals, but I do understand the need and demand of healthcare for the communities we serve," said state Rep. Camille Lilly, who represents the 78th District.
"That starts with transparency, accountability, so that Springfield knows that he's committed to the community and laying out the struggles. And we will fight for the hospital," said state Rep. La Shawn Ford, who represents the 8th District.
"Their support is invaluable; we were there to serve them, and we will be there, God willing, to serve them again," Prasad said.
Some hospital employees say they were laid off without warning.
"It's very tragic disaster. It's pathetic," Folashade Bello said.
Protesters Friday called on Chicago elected officials to help save the hospital.
"We're here today because we cannot allow this hospital to be closed. This is a community disaster," Marc Kaplan said.
Calling themselves ONE Northside, a coalition of community groups and healthcare professionals joined neighbors and elected officials to demonstrate outside the medical facility Friday afternoon.
"This was the Cook County of the North Side. It was the people's hospital," Rhona Jacobs said.
"This is a good hospital, and I don't wanna lose it. That's why I'm crying," community member Gloria Rivers said.
This is not the first issue Weiss has had recently.
Back in June, the hospital's HVAC system quit, causing patients to be transferred to other hospitals.
The emergency room had only been open for walk-ins and wasn't accepting ambulances after that. Now, its surgical unit and inpatient care are closed, too.
It's unclear how long it would take to get approval for the hospital to reopen.
Because officials say roughly 80% of patients at Weiss receive either Medicare or Medicaid services, it will be tough to be viable with federal cuts.
"Our office was informed that Weiss Memorial Hospital will be closing on August 8, 2025 due to the loss of Medicare payments, deep disinvestment, and chronic mismanagement. While there are questions that remain unanswered, I am focused on ensuring that our community members have the information they need to seek medical care," Alderwoman Angela Clay said.
She also provided nearby hospitals:
- Thorek Memorial Hospital (1.1 miles away)
- Thorek Memorial-Andersonville (1.7 miles away)
- Ascension St. Joseph Hospital (2.4 miles away)
- Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center (2.4 miles away)
- Endeavor Swedish Hospital (3.3 miles away)
The clinics and labs are still open at Weiss.
In Oak Park, West Suburban Hospital will be absorbing some of the staff from its sister property under Resilience Healthcare.
In the meantime, Prasad says he's trying to save West Suburban from the same fate. He says he's bringing in partnerships to address some needs, but communities hospitals rely on federal money.
Prasad acknowledged a void in getting information in recent weeks.
He says he couldn't afford to pay the media relations spokesperson to answer questions.