Growing losses at Aurora Sinai raise questions about its future

Aurora Health Care is downplaying the disclosure last week that it would consider closing Aurora Sinai Medical Center, a critical source of care for the low-income neighborhoods near its downtown campus. The hospital—which saw 303,402 nonemergency visits and 68,196 emergency visits in 2010—has consistently lost money, turning only a slight profit once in the past decade. In a statement Thursday, Aurora said it was exploring a variety of options for the hospital because of losses that are projected to hit $30 million this year.