Serving uninsured a fatal burden for Illinois facility

The Catholic ownership of the 410-bed St. Francis Hospital & Health Center in Blue Island, IL, said it will shutter the hospital because nobody would buy it. The development underscores the plight of non-profit hospitals struggling with the increase in uninsured patients--St. Francis was saddled with tens of millions of dollars in losses from the uninsured. The closing will force Blue Island residents to travel further from home and potentially stress other facilities with an influx of thousands of patients, many who are uninsured and of limited means.