Ald. Cruz: Community First ER accepting patients after bypass lifted, but parking garage remains closed

by BRIAN NADIG

The emergency room at Community First Medical Center, 5645 W. Addison St., is once again accepting new patients, but it’s not clear when the hospital’s parking garage will reopen due to building code problems.

The ER last week was placed on “bypass” due to temperatures that reportedly reached near 90 degrees due to an air conditioning issue, but it reopened on Sunday, June 16, said Alderwoman Ruth Cruz(30th).

The hospital had expected a new air conditioning unit to arrive by June 21, but the hospital administration was able to acquire a unit from a local source and have it installed sooner, Cruz said. 

Walk-in patients and those arriving by ambulance to the ER were not being admitted for a couple of days due to the problem. Representatives from the Illinois Department of Public Health have been monitoring the situation, Cruz said.

Meanwhile, a court order shut down the hospital’s parking garage last week after the city had filed a lawsuit to force improvements to the structure due to its deteriorating conditions in some areas.

It is not clear when the garage could reopen, but vehicle access has been blocked. 

“We do expect to hear more information in the next couple of days, (but) it looks like long-term repairs,” Cruz said. There was a court hearing on the matter on Monday, June 17.

Cruz said that it her office has been inquiring about the availability of area parking lots that the hospital could use while the garage remains closed. Some residents have complained about hospital workers parking on their side street since the garage closed.

Cruz said that the hospital administration has been keeping her updated on recent issues, including sending her text messages. She added that she plans to meet with the nurses union at the hospital.

Hospital administrators have “explained to us they do have a tight budget, and they don’t have the funds needed,” Cruz said.

A for-profit healthcare group bought the hospital, previously Our Lady of the Resurrection Medical Center, about 10 years ago. 

It does receive state funds, and a new psychiatric unit is being added, Cruz said. 

Cruz posted the following last week on her aldermanic Facebook page:

“We are listening to your concerns and doing everything we can to support our neighborhood. Thank you to State Representative Eva-Dina Delgado, State Senator Omar Aquino and Cook County Commissioner Anthony Quezada for their assistance putting pressure on Community First Medical Center to immediately make long overdue improvements.“

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