Some Chicago hospitals scramble to cool amid soaring temperatures

CHICAGO (WGN) — Several area hospitals are still dealing with air conditioning repairs and using supplemental cooling methods, some patients say, as high temperatures persist. 

One family that reached out to WGN-TV voiced concerns about room temperatures throughout parts of Mt. Sinai Hospital. According to Heather Kennedy, her child’s father wears a pacemaker and was told by staff inside the hospital to have family drop off fans to help cool down his room. 

“He admitted himself here, he called me as well as you guys, and let me know something was going on with their air, and I said, ‘Are you sure?’ He said, ‘Yes,'” Kennedy relayed. “He said when he first came into the waiting area, he was fine and he didn’t have any problems. He said once he got admitted and got into the room, it was extremely hot. I just visited him and he had no clothes on, because he’s so hot. There is no air circulating in the room. He asked me and some other family members to bring or buy him a fan.”

Addressing her claim, Mt. Sinai representatives told WGN-TV that their air conditioning is “up and running,” but given the age of their building, “at times they need to supplement cooling for specific areas.” 

The hospital stated that patient care is a top priority and noted that teams regularly check and provide spot cooling equipment as needed. Responding to WGN’s request for comment about Kennedy’s child’s father, a spokesperson stated that the hospital does not recommend the use of personal fans and insists that they have resources for cooling. 

The ongoing heat has impacted other area hospitals.  

Provident Hospital has experienced a partial air conditioning outage, although temperatures have since stabilized. A spokesperson says cooling efforts have made a difference as they continue to monitor temperatures throughout the facility amid warm weather. 

Last week, Weiss Hospital, part of Resilience Healthcare, transferred all its patients to its sister hospital in Oak Park due to a catastrophic failure in its air conditioning system. They say the a/c repair work is in progress, and the care of their patients is a priority.