Prime Healthcare announced that, beginning Oct. 1, 2026, obstetrics services will end at three of its Chicago-area hospitals, with those services moved to two other facilities within the system.
The hospitals slated to lose obstetrics care are Resurrection Medical Center in Chicago, St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, and Mercy Medical Center in Aurora. The two locations set to receive the relocated services are St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital in Chicago and Olympia Fields Hospital in Olympia Fields, Illinois.
The move is part of a broader reorganization of maternity services across Prime Healthcare’s network in the Chicago region. By consolidating obstetrics into fewer sites, the system aims to streamline its maternal health offerings.
Patients currently receiving prenatal, delivery and postpartum care at the three hospitals will be redirected to the two receiving facilities starting on the October 1 effective date. The shift will require adjustments for existing patient appointments and referrals.
Prime Healthcare has not provided further details on staffing changes or capacity expansions at St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital and Olympia Fields Hospital, but the realignment aligns with the system’s stated goal of focusing resources on selected locations.
The restructuring reflects a pattern among health systems to centralize specialized services, though the specific criteria for selecting the hospitals involved were not disclosed.