The emergency room at Provident Hospital was closed as of 12:01 am on Monday, April 6. Workers were only made aware of this via email in the afternoon on the Friday beforehand.

Located on the South Side of Chicago, Provident primarily serves African-Americans in the Washington Park neighborhood. We've already seen the devastating statistic where African-Americans make up 29% of the population, and are 72% of COVID-19 deaths.

This racist disparity is a three alarm public health emergency in itself, and must be addressed immediately. To be reducing health services in a community that needs it more than ever, without any input, is at best highly irresponsible - as it will only worsen this horrific trend.

Such a bold action would be unthinkable in an area where the demographics are wealthier and whiter, such as Streeterville or Lincoln Park. 

When the decision makers were asked to postpone this so stakeholders could be consulted, they refused. We are not opposed to making the emergency room a safer place to provide needed healthcare, we believe it could be done in a way that doesn't completely remove these important services for an entire month.

Resources exist to do this in a better and faster way, $13 million is being spent converting McCormick Place into a hospital, and 400 workers are laboring 24/7 making that happen. The residents of Washington Park deserve equal treatment, reopen our emergency room now!

In addition to signing and sharing this petition, please call/email the following elected officials:

Toni Preckwinkle, Cook County Board President, 312-603-6400  info@tonipreckwinkle.org

Bill Lowry, Cook County Commissioner, 3rd District (which includes Provident) 312-603-6391 bill.lowry@cookcountyil.gov

Dennis Deer, Cook County Commissioner, 2nd District (Health and Hospitals Committee Chairman) 312-603-3019 dennis.deer@cookcountyil.gov