Over half of the 29 resident doctors at West Suburban Hospital have expressed their alarm over the facility’s operational status, describing it as being in “critical condition.” They highlighted persistent patient safety concerns that have surfaced under the leadership of CEO Manoj Prasad, particularly noting an alarming scarcity of essential resources, such as epidural kits and alternative pain management solutions in the labor and delivery unit.
The resident doctors, who are unionized, voiced their grievances through an open letter addressed to Growing Community Media, the parent company of Wednesday Journal. In this missive, they detailed their apprehensions about the hospital’s deteriorating conditions, attributing the ongoing troubles to “shortages of vital hospital resources, inadequate building maintenance, and understaffing,” a situation that has worsened since the hospital’s acquisition by Resilience Healthcare.
Manoj Prasad, the head of Resilience Healthcare, acquired West Suburban along with Weiss Memorial Hospital in December 2022, inheriting a staggering $80 million in debt as part of the transaction. Since this takeover, West Suburban’s resident doctors have reported a significant decline in the quality of care and working conditions.
“We would not write this unless we felt we had exhausted all direct avenues for change,” residents articulated in their letter, emphasizing their attempts to engage hospital administration in discussions that have yielded no constructive results. “Residents and residency program faculty have met with hospital administration countless times to no avail.”
The “substandard care” at West Suburban casts a long shadow over its patient demographic, particularly those from the Austin neighborhood, which is predominantly Black and experiences disproportionately high levels of poverty and chronic illness compared to other areas in the city. Given that a significant portion of the patients depend on Medicaid for medical expenses, residents asserted that the lack of resources and insufficient staffing lead to delays that can prolong hospital stays for those least able to bear such financial burdens.
“Some of the most vulnerable communities in Chicago are paying the price,” the residents wrote. “The crisis at West Suburban reveals how economic and health disparities compound one another, fortifying structural racism in the process.”
Supply shortages
Residents detailed a range of alarming safety issues that have emerged, including a concerning list of critical supply shortages that have become routine:
- Vapotherm oxygen tubing, essential for respiratory support, which connects directly to a patient’s nose.
- Nitrous oxide gas, a vital nonnarcotic option for pain management during labor and delivery.
- Arterial blood gas kits, crucial for measuring blood oxygen and carbon dioxide levels.
- Tube feeding pumps in the intensive care unit, vital for patient nourishment.
- Epidural kits that are necessary for pain relief in labor and delivery.
- Female external catheters, which are essential for patient care.
Alarmingly, residents recounted an instance on the labor and delivery (L&D) floor where only one epidural kit was available for three laboring patients. “One night on the labor & delivery floor, there were three laboring patients and only one epidural kit in the entire hospital,” the residents noted in their letter.
In regards to the shortage of catheters, residents emphasized, “multiple older women on diuretics languished in diapers with none of their urine output measured for days. One patient’s family member eventually purchased catheters and diaper rash cream with her own money.”
West Suburban resident doctors protested in June, advocating for improved patient safety and greater investment in their education, as conditions continue to draw widespread attention. | Jessica Mordacq
Responding to the situation, Prasad stated to GCM that the residents did not formally communicate their letter to him. “They have chosen to not share this letter or any complaints with me,” he remarked.
However, the concerns raised by residents are not recent developments. After voting to unionize last November, they called for enhancements in patient safety and support for educational investments as part of ongoing negotiations.
Prasad maintained that there have not been any cuts to services or equipment. “I am happy to tell you again and again that we are not cutting any services and have no plans to cut any service,” he asserted. “Since we took over, we have added hundreds of pieces of new equipment.”
He further claimed that West Suburban has not experienced shortages of Vapotherm oxygen tubing, nitrous oxide gas, arterial blood gas kits, tube feeding pumps, or female external catheters. Prasad explained that occasional supply challenges stem from delays in ordering by department heads, but these gaps are often remedied by borrowing from Weiss Memorial Hospital or other facilities. “We might have a delivery glitch that sometimes delays supplies, but we are not cutting supplies,” Prasad affirmed.
“This is a normal part of hospital operation,” he added. “Young doctors in training may not understand this and panic. It happens in every hospital, even the large ones.”
In August, staff received notice from Tiger Connect, the hospital’s communication service, that access would be terminated due to nonpayment. Prasad confirmed there was a past-due balance of $2,400, which he paid to prevent any disruption to the paging service.
Services at risk
The resident doctors reported that the issues extend beyond mere supply shortages, highlighting recent service gaps. In August, the hospital’s dialysis service was abruptly terminated due to nonpayment, replaced without notice by a vendor with significantly lower technician capacity. The new arrangement offered only a single dialysis machine operator for scheduling, forcing urgent and nighttime dialysis patients to be redirected to other hospitals, which introduces delays and escalates the risk of complications.
Over Labor Day weekend, residents claimed heart attack patients were redirected to other hospitals because the cardiology group could not provide adequate scheduling coverage.
Prasad attributed the dialysis disruption to unsubstantiated rumors in August regarding the potential closure of West Suburban, which reportedly prompted existing vendors to cease services overnight. To remedy this, the hospital enlisted a new vendor, which he claimed has a longstanding partnership with Rush University Medical Center, promising similar staffing levels at a reduced cost.
“We even bought our own three sets of dialysis machines, so no vendor could disrupt services in the future,” Prasad asserted.
Regarding the cardiology group, he confirmed there were indeed instances that necessitated diverting cardiac patients, stating, “We have had two occasions when, due to a sudden non-availability of a cardiologist, we have had to divert cardiac patients to another hospital.” He suggested that patient redirection is not uncommon across healthcare facilities, sharing that sometimes other hospitals also redirect patients to West Suburban for care.
“In this day and age when hospitals are shutting down departments or laying off large percentages of their staff,” Prasad concluded, “we are standing tall, recruiting more and more staff and providing services to the community.”
Legal battles
In their letter, the residents referenced a 2002 lawsuit involving Louis Cole, who purchased Kern Hospital in Michigan a year before Prasad’s tenure as CEO. Cole alleged that unforeseen financial obligations came to light regarding a medical equipment lease, as well as concealed Medicare compliance issues. The case was ultimately settled out of court.
Prasad contended, “It’s not a Medicare investigation, but a routine survey.” He maintained that he was not involved with Kern Hospital at that time and emphasized that a Medicare survey is a standard procedure that allows hospital CEOs to present their plans for corrective action.
The residents pointed to documents showing multiple lawsuits against Resilience Healthcare related to outstanding debts for medical supplies or services.
Residents expressed concern, suggesting that a similar situation is unfolding at West Suburban. “He’s not paying the bills and he’s slashing staffing and vital resources,” they warned. “This time, some of the most vulnerable communities in Chicago are paying the price.”
The full residents’ letter can be read here:
Related
**How do operational struggles at West Suburban Hospital impact patients from underserved communities according to Dr. Hayes?**
**Interview with Dr. Emily Hayes, a Resident at West Suburban Hospital**
**Interviewer:** Thank you for joining us today, Dr. Hayes. You and your fellow residents have raised significant concerns regarding the operational status of West Suburban Hospital. Can you explain what led to your decision to express these grievances publicly?
**Dr. Hayes:** Thank you for having me. We felt a strong responsibility to speak out because we believe that the conditions at West Suburban are genuinely detrimental to patient safety and care quality. After exhausting all avenues for direct communication with hospital administration to address our concerns—such as staff shortages, lack of essential supplies, and inadequate maintenance—we decided that an open letter was the only way to bring attention to the issues we’re facing.
**Interviewer:** You mentioned a lack of crucial resources. Can you give us specific examples of what’s been lacking in the hospital?
**Dr. Hayes:** Absolutely. In the labor and delivery unit, we’ve experienced critical shortages, such as only having one epidural kit available for three laboring patients. Additionally, there have been shortages of vital equipment like Vapotherm oxygen tubing and nitrous oxide gas, which is essential for pain management. These shortages not only impede our ability to provide timely care but also put patients at risk.
**Interviewer:** It’s clear that these issues are deeply concerning. Have you had any response from the hospital’s administration regarding your letter, or any of your attempts to raise these concerns?
**Dr. Hayes:** We were disappointed when CEO Manoj Prasad informed media outlets that he had not received our letter. We have repeatedly attempted to communicate with him and other administrators, but our concerns seem to go acknowledged rather than addressed. This has created a sense of frustration and urgency among us.
**Interviewer:** In addition to the supply shortages, you’ve mentioned service gaps related to patient care. Can you tell us more about that?
**Dr. Hayes:** Certainly. We faced significant disruptions in services, such as the abrupt termination of dialysis when the hospital couldn’t fulfill payment obligations to our previous vendor. This required urgent patients to be rerouted to other facilities, leading to delays and increased health risks. Similarly, during a recent holiday weekend, we had instances where heart attack patients had to be diverted due to insufficient cardiology coverage.
**Interviewer:** Many of West Suburban’s patients come from underserved communities. How do you believe the hospital’s current operational struggles affect these patients?
**Dr. Hayes:** The impact is profound. The communities we serve, particularly those in the Austin neighborhood, often rely on Medicaid and are already facing significant health disparities. The ongoing shortages and service interruptions mean that patients, who are already vulnerable, may experience longer hospital stays, increased complications, and delayed care. This situation is exacerbating existing inequalities in access to healthcare and outcomes for these populations.
**Interviewer:** What are your hopes moving forward as the situation at West Suburban continues to develop?
**Dr. Hayes:** My hope is that administration will take our concerns seriously and engage in open dialog with the residents and staff to implement real solutions. We want to improve conditions not just for healthcare providers but more importantly for our patients. If we can work collaboratively, I believe we can restore West Suburban Hospital to its mission of providing quality care to our community.
**Interviewer:** Thank you, Dr. Hayes, for sharing your insights and concerns.
**Dr. Hayes:** Thank you for this opportunity. We’re committed to advocating for our patients and working towards a better future for West Suburban.
