The University of Chicago Medical Center is closing a clinic that serves thousands of women each year.
Medical center executives say next month's closure of the Women's Health Center on Chicago's South Side is part of efforts to find more cost-effective ways to provide care to the poor.
Officials say the economic downturn means the hospital system must cut $100 million from its budget. They say routine care will be directed to other clinics, while serious cases will still be treated at the main hospital.
Medical center spokesman John Easton says existing primary care providers in the area serve people well.
But Mishka Terplan runs the women's health clinic and says closing the clinic will cause disparities in the quality of health care.
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Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Medical center executives say next month's closure of the Women's Health Center on Chicago's South Side is part of efforts to find more cost-effective ways to provide care to the poor.
Officials say the economic downturn means the hospital system must cut $100 million from its budget. They say routine care will be directed to other clinics, while serious cases will still be treated at the main hospital.
Medical center spokesman John Easton says existing primary care providers in the area serve people well.
But Mishka Terplan runs the women's health clinic and says closing the clinic will cause disparities in the quality of health care.
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Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
