URGENT: $31.6 MILLION IN TRANSFORMATION FUNDING—ROSELAND DESERVES ANSWERS!
Dear Supporters,
Project34 is calling on our petition supporters and community members to attend the R.E.A.C.H. Community Maternal Health Forum on Saturday, October 31, 2026, if at all possible.
The timing of this forum could not be more significant.
October 31 is the very same date Roseland Community Hospital is scheduled to suspend its inpatient Labor and Delivery services despite receiving State-supported transformation funding intended, in part, to improve maternal healthcare in our community.
WHAT WE UNCOVERED THROUGH OUR FOIA REQUEST
Project34 recently obtained records from the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) concerning the R.E.A.C.H. Healthcare Transformation Collaborative and its funding, expenditures, and performance.
The records raise serious concerns about the use and oversight of millions of dollars in public healthcare funding.
Here is what we have learned:
1. Approximately $31.69 million in transformation payments has been reported.
State payment information obtained through our FOIA request reflects $31,689,281.32 in payments associated with R.E.A.C.H. between 2024 and 2026.
These are collaborative-level funding figures. We are still working to establish how much each participating organization received, how the funds were spent, and what services and improvements were delivered.
2. HFS documented 33 overdue project milestones.
On August 3, 2026, HFS issued a formal Corrective Action Notice identifying serious deficiencies involving governance, program implementation, reporting, and construction planning.
Among the overdue commitments were:
Labor and Delivery renovations and clinic improvements.
Obstetrician recruitment and in-house coverage.
Healthcare workforce hiring.
Maternal housing development.
Other healthcare transformation activities.
Some of these milestones were originally due in 2024 and 2025.
3. R.E.A.C.H. had proposed moving forward with maternal-health construction.
Documents provided by HFS show that R.E.A.C.H. proposed prioritizing the renovation of Roseland Hospital's Obstetrics Unit and the development of maternal residential housing, with a combined estimated cost of $10.1 million.
The proposal anticipated completion of the hospital's Obstetrics Unit renovation by September 2027.
Yet months later, the hospital announced its plans to close Labor and Delivery.
4. HFS placed a hold on further funding.
In August 2026, HFS documented implementation deficiencies and placed a hold on additional funding pending corrective action. The State also declined to approve the collaborative's proposed 2026 budget modification.
5. HFS subsequently removed certain Labor and Delivery renovation requirements.
After Roseland Hospital confirmed its planned closure, HFS revised its corrective-action requirements in September 2026, eliminating the requirement to complete certain previously overdue Labor and Delivery milestones.
This raises an important question: What happens to the original commitments, the public funding associated with those commitments, and the maternal healthcare improvements our community was promised?
OUR COMMUNITY DESERVES A FULL ACCOUNTING
We want to be clear: Project34 supports meaningful investments in maternal healthcare, behavioral health, housing, and healthcare workforce development.
But public funding must be accompanied by transparency, accountability, and measurable results.
We are demanding answers to several fundamental questions:
- Where did the $31.69 million go? Which organizations received payments, and what were those funds used for?
- How much was specifically allocated to Labor and Delivery renovations, and how much was actually spent?
- What construction, equipment purchases, staffing, and healthcare services were completed using the funding?
- Why were major milestones allowed to remain overdue while millions of dollars continued to be distributed?
- What will happen to funding designated for the Labor and Delivery improvements that are no longer moving forward?
- What is the plan to ensure pregnant women in Roseland and surrounding neighborhoods continue receiving accessible, safe, and timely maternity care?
WHY WE NEED YOU AT THE OCTOBER 31 FORUM
R.E.A.C.H., the very collaborative responsible for implementing these transformation initiatives, is hosting a public community maternal health forum.
This is an opportunity to hear directly from participating organizations, ask questions, and communicate how the loss of Labor and Delivery services will affect our community.
We encourage everyone who attends to be respectful, informed, and prepared to ask questions.
We also encourage R.E.A.C.H. leadership and its partners to address the documented funding and implementation concerns openly.
EVENT DETAILS
Saturday, October 31, 2026
11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Messiah Temple Missionary Baptist Church
10040 S. Halsted Street
Chicago, IL 60628
FREE AND OPEN TO EVERYONE
The forum includes information sessions, Q&A with local providers, a community resource fair, and opportunities to provide feedback.
WE CANNOT AFFORD TO REMAIN SILENT
The Chicago Health Atlas reports that only 55.7% of births in Roseland received early and adequate prenatal care during 2020–2024, compared with 81.3% in Lincoln Park.
Our community already faces significant maternal-health disparities. Losing local Labor and Delivery services makes transparency about future care arrangements and promised investments even more important.
This is about more than money. It is about mothers, babies, families, healthcare access, and the responsibility to deliver on promises made to our community.
We are continuing to examine the FOIA records and will share additional documented findings as our review progresses.
In the meantime, please make every effort to attend this forum. Bring your questions, invite your neighbors, and share this update with others.
If you cannot attend, please help spread the word.
$31.69 million in reported payments. Major milestones overdue. Labor and Delivery services scheduled to close. Our community deserves a complete accounting and a clear plan for the future.
Thank you for continuing to stand with Project34.
Public dollars demand public accountability.
In solidarity,
Project34
Community Advocacy | Healthcare Equity | Public Accountability