CBS News Chicago reported that Prime Healthcare will end obstetrics services at St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, Resurrection Medical Center in Chicago, and Mercy Medical Center in Aurora.
Prime Healthcare Centralizes Maternity Care Across Two Facilities
Prime Healthcare centralized its obstetrics operations at St. Mary of Nazareth in Ukrainian Village and Olympia Fields Hospital in south suburban Olympia Fields. A Prime Healthcare spokesperson stated that consolidating care benefits parents and babies by centralizing teams of specialists. According to company statements, the closures stem from a sharp drop in local birth rates. St. Joseph Medical Center averaged fewer than one delivery per day and under 20 per month prior to the closure. Resurrection Medical Center recorded fewer than one delivery daily and under 25 deliveries monthly, while Mercy Medical Center averaged fewer than one delivery per day and under 15 per month. Public health data indicates that Will, Cook, and Kane counties experienced birth declines exceeding 30 percent between 2005 and 2023.
Registered Nurses Hold Rallies to Protest Department Closures
Registered nurses at St. Joseph Medical Center held a rally on Wednesday preceding the closures to condemn the elimination of obstetrics and special care nursery departments. Nurses and union representatives argued that traveling longer distances for emergency maternal care threatens the health of mothers and infants. Kim Craig, a special care nursery registered nurse, stated that rapid complications such as severe bleeding, sudden high blood pressure, or fetal distress can occur during otherwise normal pregnancies. The closest alternatives for former St. Joseph patients include Silver Cross Hospital, which is about 10 miles away, or Olympia Fields Hospital, nearly 30 miles away. Expecting mothers previously served by Mercy Medical Center in Aurora are directed to Edward Hospital in Naperville, which is 12 miles away, while patients slated for Resurrection in Norwood Park face redirection to Lutheran General Hospital or Community First Medical Center. The union representing the nurses is urging Prime Healthcare to negotiate a new contract before their current agreement expires in January.
Physicians Express Concern Over Last-Minute Delivery Reassignments
Dr. Maria Munoz, an OB-GYN at Resurrection Medical Center, stated that many physicians decline to accept new obstetric patients after 34 weeks of pregnancy, leaving expectant mothers to arrive at unfamiliar emergency rooms without established provider relationships. Munoz launched an online petition that gathered over a thousand signatures, calling on state regulators to establish rules governing how quickly maternal care units can close. Prime Healthcare acquired eight Ascension Illinois hospitals in 2025, setting off strategic portfolio reviews across the newly integrated health system.
What hospitals are affected by the obstetrics closures?
Prime Healthcare ended inpatient obstetrics and special care nursery services at St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, Resurrection Medical Center in Chicago, and Mercy Medical Center in Aurora.
Where are expectant mothers directed to give birth now?
Prime Healthcare centralized its OB services at St. Mary of Nazareth in Ukrainian Village and Olympia Fields Hospital in south suburban Olympia Fields. Alternative facilities include Silver Cross Hospital, Edward Hospital in Naperville, Lutheran General Hospital, and Community First Medical Center.
What reasons did Prime Healthcare give for stopping obstetrics care?
Prime Healthcare cited a regional decline in births, noting that deliveries dropped by over 30 percent across Will, Cook, and Kane counties between 2005 and 2023.
The current union contract between Prime Healthcare and the registered nurses expires in January.
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