Whistleblower Doctor at Ingalls Hospital in Harvey Says Hospital is in Shambles (Harvey, IL) — Speaking under the condition of anonymity, a doctor with a longstanding relationship with the University of Chicago Hospital – Ingalls in Harvey is blowing the whistle on the management of the hospital, calling the services there “atrocious.” The doctor says that since the University of Chicago has taken the hospital over, patients are having procedures canceled with little notice, emergency room waiting times are through the roof, and the day-to-day management of the hospital is disorganized and lackadaisical with patient care.
The doctor, who has had privileges at Ingalls for nearly 30 years, said that, “With the way they are running this hospital, it seems like they are purposefully running it into the ground. It’s like they want to shut the doors. I have never, in my career, seen a hospital that is so poorly run.” He says that the problems began when the University of Chicago bought the hospital.
The south suburbs of Chicago have been lacking options for quality medical care. The closure of Metro South Hospital in Blue Island and St. James Hospital in Chicago Heights have left those in southern Cook County with limited options for care, especially with the limitations placed on medicaid patients.
“As a doctor who serves all patients, regardless of insurance, I am forced to use Ingalls in some cases. The way in which they handle the scheduling is absolutely horrendous. I am constantly receiving calls from patients who are having their life-saving procedures canceled with little notice. People are being sent to the emergency room for routine blood work. The staff consistently lie about receiving scheduling requests. It’s a headache for myself, my staff, and most importantly, it’s a disservice to my patients.”
The doctor has many elderly and indigent patients who lack the ability to drive themselves to appointments. More often than not, these individuals, who live in the Harvey-area, are being sent to Hyde Park by hospital staff for their procedures without regard and with little notice.
“Something needs to be done about this,” he said. “The people of the south suburbs deserve better.”
Whistleblower Doctor at Ingalls Hospital in Harvey Says Hospital is in Shambles
