‘Catastrophic’ failure: Chicago hospital to be without air conditioning for several days

CHICAGO (WGN) — Weiss Memorial Hospital, in the city’s Uptown neighborhood, expects to be without air conditioning for “several days” after the system experienced a “catastrophic” failure, hospital officials said in a Tuesday statement.

Resilience Healthcare blamed the failure on aging infrastructure. The company said the hospital’s previous owners, Pipeline Health, failed to properly maintain the system. Resilience acquired the facility in 2022.

The Chicago area is forecast to experience its first heat wave of the year, with temperatures expected to soar well into the 90s beginning Saturday and continuing straight through next Monday.

As a precaution, hospital officials said most Weiss patients have been transferred to the company’s West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park.

Weiss, at 4646 North Marine Drive, will maintain its outpatient and supporting areas, and the emergency department remains open for walk-in patients. Ambulances have been redirected to other facilities, officials said.

“We are all working to resolve this matter,” the hospital’s statement said. “Inconvenience to everyone is deeply regretted.”