Oak Park Residents Rally to Save West Suburban Medical Center

Community members, former staff, and officials discuss healthcare needs and potential hospital reopening after abrupt closure.

Apr. 7, 2026 at 9:33pm

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A vibrant neon outline of a hospital building, with pulsing lines of light symbolizing the community's collective energy and determination to address the healthcare void left by the facility's abrupt shutdown.The Oak Park community bands together to chart a path forward after the sudden closure of their local hospital.Oak Park Today

Residents, former staff, and local officials gathered at the Oak Park Public Library to voice their concerns and frustrations over the sudden closure of West Suburban Medical Center. The crowd of about 50 people discussed plans to address public health needs in the absence of the hospital and explored options for potentially reopening the facility under new leadership and with community input on needed changes.

Why it matters

The closure of West Suburban Medical Center has left Oak Park without a local hospital, raising concerns about access to healthcare and emergency services for the community. The meeting aimed to organize a community-driven effort to advocate for the hospital's reopening and ensure the area's healthcare needs are met.

The details

The meeting was hosted by local doctors Theresa Chapple and Mohi Ahmed, who wanted to provide a platform for the community to come together and devise a plan of action. Attendees expressed frustrations with the hospital's owner, Manoj Prasad, who cited financial distress and a billing system failure as reasons for the abrupt closure last month. Former West Suburban doctor Dominic Robolino said he and other employees had tried unsuccessfully to unionize and advocate for patient safety prior to the shutdown. The group broke out into sessions to address staff concerns, the hospital's finances, community needs, political/legislative issues, and the hospital's leadership model, with the goal of organizing plans and quantifying the community's healthcare requirements.

  • West Suburban Medical Center abruptly closed last month, giving patients and the community little notice.
  • The community meeting took place on Monday, April 7, 2026 at the Oak Park Public Library.
  • Prasad has said he hopes to reopen the hospital in the summer, but state Rep. La Shawn Ford expressed doubts about the timeline.

The players

Theresa Chapple

A local doctor who co-organized the community meeting.

Mohi Ahmed

A local doctor who co-organized the community meeting, though he has never worked at West Suburban Medical Center.

Dominic Robolino

A former West Suburban Medical Center doctor who began his residency at the hospital in 2024 and expressed concerns about the facility's conditions and services prior to the closure.

Manoj Prasad

The owner of West Suburban Medical Center, who cited financial distress and a billing system failure as reasons for the hospital's abrupt closure.

Tara Stamps

A Cook County Commissioner who decried Prasad's handling of the closure and said more should have been done to alert the community about the hospital's financial condition and the possibility of closure.

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What they’re saying

“There was a moment where people got together and resolved to work, that's the note we ended on. We're going to hopefully continue that momentum moving forward.”

— Mohi Ahmed, Co-organizer of the community meeting

“Dr. Prasad refused to meet with us and we filed multiple unfair labor practices due to his inability and unwillingness to negotiate with our union, and then eventually our residency program got shut down and turned to nothing.”

— Dominic Robolino, Former West Suburban Medical Center doctor

“It's a travesty, but more is coming.”

— Tara Stamps, Cook County Commissioner

What’s next

Over the next few weeks, the breakout groups formed at the meeting will organize and create plans and ideas to quantify the community's healthcare needs, with the goal of reconvening everyone and presenting their findings by July 15th.

The takeaway

The abrupt closure of West Suburban Medical Center has left Oak Park residents deeply concerned about the future of healthcare in their community. The community meeting demonstrated a strong desire to advocate for the hospital's reopening and ensure the area's medical needs are met, but significant challenges remain in terms of the hospital's financial situation and leadership.