>>> WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY.
RIGHT NOW, HOSPITALS ACROSS THE
COUNTRY ARE AT CAPACITY.
AND IN CHICAGO’S SOUTH SIDE, ONE
OF THE CITY’S OLDEST HOSPITALS
IS ABOUT TO CLOSE THE DOOR IN
THE MIDDLE OF THIS PANDEMIC.
IT HAS LEFT NEIGHBORS ASKING
WHERE DO WE GO?
WHERE DO WE GET HELP?
WE HAVE TEAM COVERAGE, NBC’S
ANTONIO HILTON LIVE FOR US IN
CHICAGO.
AND ON THIS PODCAST, ANTONIO, I
WANT TO START WITH YOU.
SINCE 2018, YOU GOT THREE
MAJORITY BLACK HOSPITALS IN
CHICAGO COMMUNITIES AND THEY’VE
CLOSED.
HOW IS THAT GOING TO DIRECTLY
AFFECT THAT COMMUNITY?
WHAT ARE YOU SEEING?
>> Reporter: HEY, YASMIN, WHAT’S
GOING TO HAPPEN, MERCY HISTORIC
HOSPITAL THAT’S SERVED THE
COMMUNITY ON THE SOUTH SIDE,
WHEN THAT HOSPITAL SHUTS DOWN,
ITS PATIENTS HAVE TO FLOW OUT
INTO PARTS OF THE CITY.
MANY OF THEM ARE GOING TO COME
HERE TO PROVIDENCE.
THIS IS A PUBLIC HOSPITAL THAT
REGULARLY WORKS WITH PEOPLE
UNINSURED.
AND THE PROBLEM IS THEY’RE
HAVING ITS BUDGET SLASHED, TOO.
THEY’RE DOWNSIZING THEIR E.R.
AND NO LONGER DOING MATERNAL
HERE.
AND MANY FEEL THEY’RE COMPLETELY
DISREGARDED AND DISRESPECTED BY
THE DECISION.
TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT I LEARNED
THIS WEEK.
>> Reporter: ETTA DAVIS IS
ANGRY.
SHE’S BOARDING A SCHOOL BUS IN
THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC.
ON THE WAY TO PROTEST THE
LOOMING CLOSURE OF MERCY.
THE HOSPITAL SHE DEPENDS ON.
>> THERE’S NO MONEY WHEN IT
COMES TO US.
>> Reporter: YOU’D BE
HARD-PRESSED TO FIND A BLACK
PERSON IN CHICAGO WHO HASN’T
BEEN HURT BY COVID.
BLACK RESIDENTS ARE THE GROUP
MOST LIKELY TO DIE FROM COVID.
MERCY, A HOSPITAL DEDICATED TO
SERVING THE POOR REPRESENTS
ANOTHER HEARTBREAK.
>> WE HAVE 260 SENIORS, A LOT OF
PEOPLE IN WHEELCHAIRS, WALKING
AROUND WITH CANES.
THEY CAN’T AFFORD TO TAKE UBER.
>> Reporter: WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU
THINK THIS SENDS TO BLACK AND
BROWN COMMUNITIES?
>> I DON’T KNOW WHAT IT SENDS TO
THEM, BUT IT SAYS TO ME, YOU
MIGHT AS WELL ARE ROLL OVER AND
BUY.
>> Reporter: ITS OWNERS SAY IT’S
NOT PROFITABLE AND ENOUGH COULD
CLOSE BY FEBRUARY.
PATIENTS LIKE DAVIS WHO HAS A HEART CONDITION AND DIABETES
HEART CONDITION AND DIABETES
WILL IMMEDIATELY BELOW INTO HOSPITALS LIKE PRAUF OVIDENT.
HOSPITALS LIKE PRAUF OVIDENT.
>> Reporter: IS PROVIDENT ABLE
TO HANDLE MORE PATIENTS?
>> NO WAY.
PEOPLE GET BROUGHT HERE, THEY
CAN’T BREATHE BECAUSE OF ASTHMA OR HEART FAILURE, THEY NEED LIFE
OR HEART FAILURE, THEY NEED LIFE
SAVING CARE IMMEDIATELY.
>> WE’RE IN THE MIDDLE OF AN
UNPRECEDENT THE PANDEMIC.
IS THERE NOT SOMETHING THAT CAN
BE DONE TO EITHER REVERSE THE
DECISION OR DELAY IT.
>> WE REALLY WANT TO TAKE INTO
CONSIDERATION TO PLACE ALL OF
THE PROGRAMS, PLACE OUR PATIENTS
AND PLACE OUR STAFF.
IN OTHER HEALTH CARE FACILITIES
IN THE CHICAGO AREA.
AND WE’LL TAKE THE COVID SURGE
INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN WE SET A
FINAL DATE.
>> Reporter: WHILE SHE’S HOLDING
OUT HOPE THAT A NEW OWNER BUYS
AND RESTORES MERCY, ETTA DAVIS
IS ALREADY ASKING HER DOCTORS TO
GATHER UP HER MEDICAL RECORDS AS
SHE TRIES TO STAY HEALTHY.
DO YOU THINK THIS IS THE LAST
TIME YOU’LL FIGHT A HOSPITAL
CLOSURE IN A BLACK COMMUNITY IN
CHICAGO?
>> OH, NO, AND IT’S THE WINTER.
I’LL BE OUT HERE BUNDLED UP,
MARCHING AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN.
>> Reporter: PROVIDENT IS THREE
MILES AWAY FROM THE HOSPITAL
THAT SERVES THE COMMUNITY.
THE REALITY IS IF YOU’RE LIKE
ETTA, YOU’RE LIVING IN A
COMMUNITY WITH LIMITED INCOME,
MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE DISABLED,
THOSE THREE MILES MIGHT BE THE
BARRIER THAT STOPS YOU FROM
GETTING LIFE SAVING MEASURES.
>> IT’S SHOCKING TO HEAR HOW THE
BLACK COMMUNITY IS FEELING.
YOU MIGHT AS WELL ROLL OVER AND
DIE BECAUSE WE JUST DON’T CARE.
THAT IS SO INCREDIBLY SAD TO
HARRIET THAT DAVIS SAY SOMETHING
LIKE THAT.
BUT IT’S ONLY EXACERBATING THE
DISPARITY IN THE BLACK
COMMUNITY, SPECIFICALLY FROM THE
MORTALITY TO NOW COVID.
YOU ACTUALLY SPOKE TO A
PHYSICIAN WHO TALKED TO YOU
ABOUT HOW WE CAN ACTUALLY CHANGE
THINGS.
>> YES, I SPOKE TO DR. THOMAS
BRITT WHO SAYS THERE NEEDS TO BE
A WHOLESALE RECONSIDERATION OF
HOW WE DELIVER HEALTH CARE IN
THIS COUNTRY.
ONE THING I LEARNED IN THIS
EPISODE, IN TALKING TO
DR. THOMAS BRITT AND HOW
OUTCOMES ARE TO SYSTEMIC AND
STRUCTURAL RACISM.
LET’S TAKE A LISTEN TO WHAT
DR. BRITT HAD TO SAY.
>> THERE’S BLAME ALL THE WAY
AROUND.
THE QUESTION IS DO YOU HONESTLY
THINK YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE TO
THIS?
AND WHAT CAN YOU DO TO MAKE IT
BETTER?
AND THEN, SO IF YOU ACKNOWLEDGE
IT AND YOUR PRODUCT AND YOU
ACKNOWLEDGE IT AND YOU’RE A
CORPORATE ENTITY, AND YOU
ACKNOWLEDGE IT YOU’RE THE
PHYSICIAN WHO DIDN’T GIVE THIS
BLACK PATIENT THE PROPER
CATHERIZATION, IF YOU
ACKNOWLEDGE THIS, ARE YOU
WILLING TO MAKE THE CHANGE?
WE DIDN’T GET IN THIS MESS
OVERNIGHT.
WE WON’T GET OUT OF IT
OVERNIGHT.
BUT WE HAVE TO START AS WE CAN
START TOMORROW.
>> WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THIS
TANGLE OF RACE, HEALTH CARE AND
ECONOMICS.
IT’S CLEAR THAT THE BURDEN AND
THE WEIGHT HAS FALLEN SQUARELY
ON THE BACKS OF BLACK AND POOR
COMMUNITIES ALL ACROSS THIS
COUNTRY, LIKE THIS ONE ON THE