IL board report deals setback to Franciscan St. James hospital project

An initial state examination of Franciscan St. James Health's controversial plans to restructure hospital operations in the south suburbs delivered mixed results for the Catholic health system. Franciscan St. James proposes to close a hospital in Chicago Heights and relocate services to its Olympia Fields hospital, which is about 5 miles away. To accommodate patients who have been served in Chicago Heights, Franciscan St. James would like to renovate and add 56 beds to the Olympia Fields facility at a cost of $114.6 million. But a review of the project shows that more hospital beds aren't needed.