Death raises questions after IL hospital closure

A bedridden patient who predicted he wouldn't survive a move from a now-closed Illinois charity hospital has died, three weeks after his transfer to a nursing home, family and friends said Thursday. The death of Michael Yanul, 58, who had muscular dystrophy and breathed with a ventilator, raises questions about how Cook County managed patient transfers while closing the hospital in Chicago's south suburbs. Facing a multimillion-dollar budget deficit, Cook County converted Oak Forest Hospital to an outpatient center in August to save money. Earlier this year, protesters opposed to closing the hospital carried Yanul's photo, enlarged to poster size, to several public hearings. They said they wanted officials to see the faces of patients who could be harmed if the hospital closed.