U of C ER plans put on back burner

By Anthonia Akitunde in News on Mar 14, 2009 6:15PM

Plans to decrease beds and move patients from the University of Chicago's emergency room to other South Side facilities have been halted amid protest within and outside the university community.

In a memo obtained by the Chicago Tribune, University president Robert Zimmer assured faculty members, staff and fellows that the proposal would be halted until a "better plan" was created. The use of the medical center's emergency room as a general care facility costs the hospital tens of millions of dollars.

Most of the concern centered around the fear that the university's commitment to serving some of the nation's poorest communities would diminish. According to the U of C Medical Center, 35.6 percent of its inpatient admissions are covered by Medicaid, a federal medical insurance program for low income individuals and families, far exceeding Rush Hospital, which covers 19.2 percent, and Loyola, which covers 19.1 percent.

An estimated 200 area residents and medical center fellows showed their protest in a letter to the Board of Trustees, saying any move to redirect patients from emergency care at the medical center would be "inconsistent with the educational mission of the University as well as the historical role of the hospital in the community." Two national associations of ER doctors also disapproved of the plan. Zimmer's memo addressed these concerns: "We benefit from being part of these communities, and we have a corresponding obligation to contribute to their well-being." [Tribune]