Recognizing the critical role that hospitals play to ensure the health and economic well-being of their local communities and the state, the Board of Trustees/Directors of Norwegian American Hospital has passed a resolution urging Senator William Delgado and Representatives Luis Arroyo and Cynthia Soto to support hospitals and oppose drastic Medicaid cuts. Citing the significant contributions of Norwegian American Hospital in providing high quality, cost efficient care, transforming Medicaid and the health care delivery system and strengthening the local economy, the board resolution warns of the dire consequences of drastic Medicaid cuts as proposed by the Governor.

“We are urging our state legislators to work with us and the Illinois Hospital Association to consider and enact workable and reasonable alternatives to these devastating Medicaid cuts,” said José R. Sánchez, president and CEO of Norwegian American Hospital. Norwegian American Hospital employs 850 people from the local community. Statewide, hospitals provide nearly 450,000 direct and indirect jobs, with an economic impact to the local and state economies of more than $83 billion a year. “We are deeply concerned that the proposed Medicaid cuts would undermine the ongoing transformation of the state’s Medicaid program and health delivery system as well as jeopardize access to health care and the creation and retention of good paying, professional jobs,” said Sánchez.