A state board today approved Cook County's plan to transform Oak Forest Hospital into a regional outpatient clinic with a 24-hour urgent care center.
The Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board voted 7 to 1 in favor of the plan to turn the south suburban hospital into an outpatient clinic with primary care doctors, specialists and diagnostic testing. One board member voted present.
In May, the state hospital board denied the county's plan by a single vote. At the time, there were several vacancies on the board . Gov. Pat Quinn has since filled them.
In their current bid to the board, county health system officials added a 24-hour urgent care center to the proposal as a concession to patient advocates and union members who argued the county plan would hurt health care for those who need it most.
Ending the in-patient hospital services at Oak Forest is part of the county's plan to overhaul its health programs. The county had been set to close the hospital June 1, and it has cost the county $2 million a month in unplanned expenses to keep the hospital running since then.
The state board asked the county to come back in a year with a status update.
# As distributed : Chicago Tribune By Erika Slife Aug 16 2011
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