CHICAGO — Roseland Community Hospital will begin accepting new patients Thursday morning thanks to emergency state funding, a spokeswoman said.
As the 162-bed South Side medical center faced closure, turning away patients Wednesday morning, last-minute state aid granted Wednesday afternoon allowed it to remain open.
Gov. Pat Quinn approved $350,000 in temporary assistance, but cautioned the fix is not a long-term solution.
"Roseland Community Hospital is in deep debt and its leadership has serious, long-time management issues that must be addressed," a statement from the governor's office said.
Hospital spokeswoman Sharon Thurman said Roseland would be able to remain open at least two weeks and meet its June 17 payroll.
"Essentially the hospital could still close two weeks from now if more assistance is not secured," Thurman said. "But the good news is that we did not have to move any patients and we are back fully operational and accepting new patients."
Ald. Anthony Beale (9th), who fought for the hospital, said he believes Roseland will stay open longer than two weeks and meet July 1 payroll as well.
The state advanced all payments to Roseland for fiscal year 2013, Thurman confirmed.
"The governor has always been a friend of the community," Beale said. "I commend him for stepping up to the plate and making this happen."
The hospital is located in the 34th Ward of Ald. Carrie Austin, who was unavailable for comment.
A condition of the emergency state aid will require independent financial experts to review the hospital's budget, operations and finances, Thurman said.
Quinn's health care advisers met with hospital officials for two months but received the "critical information" that allowed them to grant emergency funding this week, Thurman confirmed.
