Underwood Condemns Prime Healthcare Putting Profits Over Parents

September 1, 2026 Press Release JOLIET – Today, Representative Lauren Underwood released the following the statement after meeting with leadership at Prime Healthcare: “Illinois deserves better than what Prime Healthcare is offering. Six weeks ago, I requested a meeting with Prime leadership after reading news reports they were discontinuing inpatient pediatric services at Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet. After our initial request for a meeting was sent on July 22, Prime delayed several times in finding a time that worked for their leadership team, but finally agreed to schedule the meeting for September 1 at 11 a.m. CT. At 11:00 a.m. today exactly, as our meeting started, Prime sent news outlets a press release announcing further closures to units that provide essential maternal health care, including obstetrics services at Saint Joseph and in Aurora at Mercy Medical. They were unable to provide substantive answers on the Saint Joseph pediatric closure – the topic I had requested the meeting to discuss – instead steering the discussion to the obstetrics closure announcements being made in real time. Then, 23 minutes into the meeting, we received an email from Prime with materials attempting to justify the obstetrics closures. This is not how a company with nothing to hide operates. I believe my community deserves to see that email, so I’m releasing it publicly here . Based on my conversation with them today, Prime does not appear to have adequately prepared for the speedy closures announced this morning, which are targeted for October 1. They have made no plans to help moms who will have to travel for care access transportation, or even any efforts to understand how this decision will affect their health. Prime’s justification for the decision hinges on Silver Cross Hospital taking on St. Joseph patients, and Edward Hospital taking on Mercy Medical patients, but Prime confirmed in our meeting today that at least one of those transfer agreements isn’t even in place. This carelessness puts moms and babies in our community at risk. As a nurse and founder of the Black Maternal Health Caucus, I’m especially concerned about the impact these closures will have on communities of color across Illinois. Prime’s assertion that consolidating obstetric care in the city of Chicago is somehow “addressing maternal health disparities” the families in Joliet and Aurora face is detached from reality. One in three Illinois counties is already a maternity care desert, and our moms need more support and convenient care, not less. Unfortunately, these latest developments are consistent with the pattern of revenue-focused decisions and broken promises our community has witnessed since Prime announced its acquisition of the nonprofit Ascension system in 2024. The Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board can still stop these closures, and I hope the State will take quick action to preserve access to obstetric and inpatient pediatric care in the areas affected. Our country’s broken system is already on the brink of collapse after Donald Trump signed the biggest healthcare cuts in American history into law last year, and further closures will be devastating for Illinois families.” ### Issues : Health Care and Reproductive Rights