The Duchossois Center for Advanced Medicine at the University of Chicago Medical Center. (Credit: CBS)
CHICAGO (WBBM) – Friends of a slain South Side teen are keeping up pressure on the University of Chicago Medical Center with a protest on Friday designed to get the hospital to reopen its trauma center.
LISTEN: Newsradio 780′s Nancy Harty Reports
About 30 members of the group Fearless Leading by the Youth, or FLY, wore red-stained t-shirts and fell to the ground outside the medical center after fake gun shots.
Damien Turner, one of the group’s founders, died after a real shooting in August and was not taken to the U. of C. even though it was only four blocks away. He was taken up to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, which was the nearest hospital with a trauma center.
The hospital closed its trauma center in 1988, saying it was an enormous financial strain.
Meanwhile the medical center plans to open $700 millionnew hospital in early 2013.
The medical center spokesman did not immediately respond to Newsradio 780′s request for reaction to this story
13 Comments
This is shameful. What kind of mission statement does U of C live by. As a southsider myself, we need something closer than Christ or downtown for trauma.
November 12, 2010 at 5:10 pm
don’t get shot and you will be fine
November 12, 2010 at 5:16 pm
.you act like people [TRY] to get shot !! anybody can get shot , you , me , ANYBODY . so for you to say that is just plain on STUPID! !! !!
November 13, 2010 at 10:26 am
I live in the University of Chicago Hyde Park community. The University of Chicago simply can not provide free medical care, free housing, free education and living wage jobs for the entire South Side of Chicago.
November 12, 2010 at 5:28 pm
I agree with Jack Ryan! The solution to the stopping all of the shootings in the South Side have nothing to do with U of C having or not having a trauma center! The solution lies in preventing the shootings… focus on that!
November 12, 2010 at 5:42 pm
.first of all ANYBODY can get shot so its not a matter of dont get shot but a matter of if you do get shot have somewhere IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD to go and NOT no where like northwestern to get treated ! and why yawl wanna talk even if yall was on the GROUNDS of the hospital you still WOULDNT get treated ! so if you think you WILL your absolutely WRONGG !
November 13, 2010 at 10:35 am
Instead of laying on the ground to protest at U of C, why don’t you go home and stay out of trouble. Get off the streets. Study. Get a job. Don’t be “hanging out” at alll hours of the night. Or, go to St. Bernard Hospital which is reasonably close for those living in Woodlawn and Washington Park areas. I don’t understand why you think that UC owes you a trauma center mainly to treat gunshot wounds, stabbings, killings, etc.’
November 12, 2010 at 6:13 pm
.LOOK HOW ABOUT YOU JUST [SHUT UP] CAUSE WHAT ALL YOU IS SAYING IS B.S ! DNT BE AGAINST US BE ABOUT US && IF YOU DNT LIKE WHAT WE DOING THEN THIS NOT THE PLACE FOR YOU ! PIDD . DOE’
November 13, 2010 at 10:39 am
St. Bernard Hospital does not have a trauma center. Youth working on healthcare reform is youth staying “out of trouble” and actually is an example of activism and leadership which is inspiring and gives hope for the future. The University of Chicago should have a trauma center given its strategic location. Its true the U of C can’t give free housing, education, healthcare, etc to all but it does get millions in charity care tax breaks which give it a responsibility to care for those in need and trauma is a need.
November 12, 2010 at 7:41 pm
Thank you!! I commend and admire the youth who are standing up (lying down) for something truly important! U of C does owe the community health care and never should have closed their trauma center, a great need in this community right now. Working to prevent shootings is great, but people need care NOW, and U of C has the money, they just don’t want to spend it on certain things or people.
November 22, 2010 at 1:51 pm
For all you ARROGANT PEOPLE WHO CANT READ BETWEEN THE LINES. ME AS A FLY MEMBER SINCE 07. ALL WE ARE TRYING TO SAY IS IF ” SOMEONE GETS HURT THEY DESERVE TO BE TAKEN TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD RATHER THAN A DISTANCED HOSPITAL” AND FOR ALL YOU PPL WHO THINK THATS WRONG. I HOPE YOU NO THAT YOUR MOM SISTER AUNT COUSIN COULD BE IN CRITICAL CONDITION ND THE WILL GET DRIVEN RIGHT PASS U OF C ; TO NORTHWESTERN TO A FAR HOSPITAL. A TRAUMA CENTER IS NEEDED EITHER WAY IT GO..
and to respond about if people dont get shot they wont have to go to a hospital; BULLETS DONT HAVE ANY NAMES.. A TRAUMA CENTER ISN’T JUST A CENTER FOR GUN SHOT VICTIMS BUT FOR OTHER VICTIMS TOO; SO BEFORE U CRITICIZE DO YOUR HOMEWORK.!!!!
November 12, 2010 at 10:38 pm
Thank you FLY! Power to the people! Healthcare for all!!!!!!!!! Trauma Center for the South Side!!!!!!!! No more blaming the victims!!!!!!!!!!! Organize Organize Organize!
November 13, 2010 at 10:28 am
Perhaps its not a youth, its a heart attack on a senior, an auto crash, a policeman that is in need of life or death services. The need for the trauma center still remains. The U of C is a major Hospital with the job of savings lives. Profit should not – I repeat- should not become more important than people. No one should have to die en route to the nort or northwest side while gasping for life when the chances for survival are close at home.
I have no idea how housing,or education got in this conversation. The University is pround of its many charter schools. I don’t recall them being asked for housing. Perhaps you were making reference
To displacement of homes in the community by the University. However, the University is in the healthcare business, but their budiness is not good. Sounds like you might be a member of the University community, east of Cottage. Well they look out for their own. We want them to look out for us too. Don’t graduate and move into the community, if you are unfortunate -job market way dow – and find insurance too costly. You too will have to hope you get treated before you die.
November 13, 2010 at 11:45 pm