Roseland Community Hospital will halt its labor and delivery services at the close of this month. This action follows a trend among South Side hospitals reducing obstetric care. Hospital President and CEO Tim Egan noted the decision wasn’t made voluntarily but was driven by historical underfunding of safety-net hospitals, making it untenable to maintain vital services.
Egan emphasized the broader impact beyond Roseland’s neighborhood, pointing out that women in the area will face longer distances and waits for obstetric care. “Distance and delay cost lives,” he stated. Roseland had 17 obstetric/gynecology beds and recorded 107 births in 2025, as per a Health Facilities and Services Review Board report.
Roseland, similar to other safety-net hospitals in Chicago, has navigated financial difficulties for years. Earlier this year, delayed Medicaid payments threatened the hospital’s ability to meet payroll. Egan addressed the media alongside U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, underscoring threats to Illinois safety-net hospitals posed by Medicaid cuts.
Safety-net hospitals often serve a significant Medicaid population, a program supported by state and federal funds for low-income individuals and those with disabilities. However, Medicaid reimbursements fall short compared to private insurers, failing to cover complete care costs. In 2025, Medicaid generated 51% of Roseland’s inpatient revenue.
These hospitals, including Roseland, also grapple with aging infrastructure and rising costs. The closing of obstetric units on the South Side raises concern due to disparities in maternal health outcomes between Black and white women. Since 2019, other hospitals such as Jackson Park Hospital, St. Bernard Hospital, and Insight Hospital have also closed their obstetric units.
The Illinois health department reported that between 2018 and 2020, Black women were thrice as likely to die from pregnancy-related medical issues as white women. They also faced severe pregnancy or delivery complications at more than twice the rate of white women. In 2025, 89% of Roseland’s patients were Black, highlighting the importance of maintaining such services.
Egan commented that existing maternal mortality rates are already high, and the suspension could worsen the situation. Across the state, community hospitals cite shifting demographics and patient preferences for hospitals with substantial birthing centers as reasons for cutting obstetrics. Recently, Prime Healthcare announced it would centralize labor and delivery services at two Illinois hospitals and enhance community maternal health, sparking criticism from the Illinois Nurses Association over potential service losses.
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