Community celebration marks Insight Hospital's approval to accept ambulances

CHICAGO (CBS)-- Insight Hospital, the South Side hospital formerly known as Mercy Hospital, is celebrating a major turning point, as ambulances are bringing in patients again, after having to be turned away for nearly a year.

Mercy Hospital began turning away ambulances in February 2021 after filing for bankruptcy, and after new owners took control in June 2021, it took several more months until the renamed Insight Hospital got authorization from Illinois Department of Public Health, and the Chicago Fire Department last month resumed sending ambulances there.

It's a big deal for the South Side, as for nearly a year, even if someone had a medical emergency just a block away from Insight Hospital, ambulances had to redirect to a different hospital much further away, oftentimes University of Chicago Medical Center, about five miles away.

Before declaring bankruptcy last year, Mercy Hospital had one of the busiest emergency rooms in the city, and for more than 170 years, surrounding neighborhoods had leaned on the facility until it was almost shut down completely.

It was a remarkable turn of events when activists rallied, and nonprofit Insight Chicago stepped into buy Mercy, saving the hospital, saving lives, and saving history.

"It has taken a long time, a lot of work to get us to where we are; but it feels wonderful to have the hospital open, sustained, to have the emergency department up and running. It just feels wonderful to be able to be here," said Dr Anita Goyal, an emergency medicine specialist at Insight Hospital.

When Insight took over the hospital last June, it was initially downgraded to a "basic" emergency room, so ambulances were forced to divert to other hospitals, until last month when IDPH gave them approval to accept ambulances and resume other services as well.

"My hopes are that Insight Chicago becomes a cornerstone of the community's once again, the institution — although it changed its name — the work ethic and the passion hasn't changed," said Dr. Dillon Bannis, chief medical officer.

Rob Kaleniecki, who lives across the street from Insight Hospital, said it brings peace of mind to the area knowing the emergency room is back where it was.

PARRA: "Have you heard the sirens?"

KALENIECKI: "Yeah, yeah, I've heard them in the morning, I heard them at night, and we're like, 'Why are they taking people there? It's not an emergency room anymore.' It's good to have the hospital back."

Officials will formally cut the ribbon on the upgraded emergency room Monday morning.