FLOSSMOOR, IL — Officials from the University of Chicago Ingalls Memorial Hospital closed the hospital’s urgent care services early Wednesday morning until further notice to free up staff to help amidst a COVID-19 surge in the south suburbs.
In an email sent to Ingall’s employees from Randy Neiswonger, president of Ingalls Memorial Hospital, staff were told the hospital’s Urgent Aid location would be shut down beginning Wednesday at 7 a.m. and closed until further notice.
Staff who usually work in the Urgent Aid department will be moved to emergency care locations in Calumet City and Tinley Park.
Neiswonger said the emergency centers in Tinley Park and Calumet City are now open all day, every day to accommodate patients for lower-level emergency needs such as sprained ankles and ear infections.
“The closure is due to unprecedented demand across our network because of COVID-19, which requires us to consolidate limited resources,” he said.