Over 70 local residents, healthcare workers, patients, students, and advocates came together Tuesday (June 30th) in front of the University of Chicago administration building to protest the plan to close the 47th St women’s health clinic. A delegation led by community member Marcia Rothenberg and student leader Toussaint Losier gained access to the building, but were denied a meeting with President Zimmer or any other university officials. “When you have advance notice that a delegation is coming to see you, it makes sense at least to have someone there to meet them,” Losier commented. “The fact that no-one would talk to us smacks of arrogance and disrespect.”
Once the protest had been wrapped up, the group moved to the President’s house at 59th & University, where a picket and free barbeque had been set up.The festive atmosphere was buoyed by the news that, although the clinic had been scheduled to close that evening, an extension of a couple more weeks had been announced by the university. For the moment, however, this is only a temporary stay of execution: unless we take further action to prevent it, the clinic will close, and hundreds of local women will lose access to the vital services it provides.
More details and pictures of the action – plus news of the university’s response – will follow soon.
There is never any mention that the Clinic also housed the Primary Physicians Group. If the University was concerned about patients in the ER not having a clinic home, why, without any public notice, transfer this clinic back to the DCAM and not allow any new patients. Why not expand this clinic and allow a patient home, thereby reducing the number of patients int he ER because they can be cared for by the Primary Physicians Group. We know is not really the issue.