Citizens for Healthcare in Ottawa, IL

09/05/2026

👋💜

Check out our new sign on the east side of Columbus Street in Ottawa, just north of Norris Drive! A lot of activity is taking place behind-the-scenes in preparation for breaking ground later this fall for our new 22,900 square foot, two-story medical office building that will include laboratory, diagnostic imaging, cardiac diagnostics, and multi-specialty physician offices. We can’t wait!

08/03/2026

Mayor Hasty said it best:
“The project represents a significant investment in Ottawa's future and will enhance the availability and convenience of healthcare services for residents throughout Ottawa and the surrounding area.”

Advocating for quality, timely, and accessible healthcare close to home (wherever “home” may be), has been and will continue to be our mission.

Exciting news for Ottawa! 🏥

Mayor Robb Hasty and the Ottawa City Council are pleased to announce that Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers has revealed plans to construct a new $17.2 million, 22,900-square-foot, two-story medical office building in Ottawa.

This significant investment will expand access to healthcare services, bring new opportunities to our community, and support the continued growth of Ottawa and the surrounding region.

We are grateful for our longstanding partnership with Morris Hospital and look forward to seeing this exciting project become a reality.

Read the full press release below. ⬇️

07/03/2026

Thank you Rep Briel for this excellent work!

“Homeowners have rights—this bill
protects them.” - Rep. Amy “Murri” Briel, D-Ottawa

Medical debt is now the largest source of consumer debt collection and one of the leading causes
of bankruptcy nationwide, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Full press release ⬇️

03/31/2026

House Bill 4461 passed the Judiciary Civil Committee, bringing us one step closer to ensuring that patients’ homes and properties are protected from hospital legal action. No one in Illinois should be scared to lose their homes because of medical bills.

I’m fighting the problem at the source with a series of bills to tackle hospital transparency. This is just the start!

12/21/2025

FACTS matter. There is misinformation circulating on Facebook about the future of healthcare in Ottawa. We want to clarify the facts based on official records and OSF’s own statements:

OSF didn’t “walk away.”
OSF withdrew the permit application from the state review board.
Their rationale:
“We need to take a fresh and thoughtful look at the services needed in the region, what size and type of facility will best support patients, and how we can ensure long-term sustainability.”
OSF’s full statement:
https://newsroom.osfhealthcare.org/osf-withdraws-ottawa-replacement-hospital-permit/

No legislator “cancelled” a hospital.
Representative Amy Murri Briel is doing what she was elected to do. She is the only elected state representative to raise concerns about patient safety, timely access to quality care, and community impact throughout the region.
We are grateful for her support.
Keep in mind:
•Opposing the elimination of ICU and OB services is NOT opposing healthcare.
•Holding healthcare systems accountable IS part of the public process.

When reading posts online, assess the source. Does the claim seem outlandish?
Any official sources included?
•OSF posts all of their official statements here: https://newsroom.osfhealthcare.org
•Illinois Health Facilities, and Services Review Board: https://hfsrb.illinois.gov
•Community Updates: https://saveottawahealthcare.com

12/05/2025

This story was sent to us by a nurse and is a VERY powerful and relevant read.

It didn’t matter that OSF Saint Elizabeth Medical Center had an award winning OB unit and award winning pulmonary care… the decision was made to close the ICU and OB units anyways.

OSF HealthCare we had a full service hospital in our community for more than a century and you are dismantling it in favor of corporate profits. Shame on this system’s leaders who allowed this to happen.

https://substack.com/inbox/post/180761468?r=6hvn04&utm_medium=ios&brid=dXlk3ITLFJzP6TxeJ9S1EA&triedRedirect=true&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQKNjYyODU2ODM3OQABHgAbENiPjEXbsfcZCw63WgRkfy0g1tqNO1ZfEvvTgsxeX8aDmbRVXMmYzCco_aem_OxEp6bnwjEyfHcXfMquxeQ

Written by: Nicole Moore BSN, RN & Author

12/04/2025

OSF HealthCare’s application to the IL Health Facilities and Services Review Board stated that the transition to close both the ICU and OB units in Ottawa would be completed in March 2026. But based on press releases shared on November 21 and December 2 (shown below), those changes apparently took place today - December 3, 2025 - nearly 4 months sooner than stated.

I see no communication attempted on the OSF Saint Elizabeth Medical Center or OSF HealthCare - Illinois Valley face book pages alerting the public to this date, so we are clearly concerned with OSF’s ongoing lack of communication to the public! Hopefully everyone who’s pregnant across the 3-county region (LaSalle, Bureau & Putnam) is aware that babies are no longer being delivered in Ottawa.

We are very interested to know how these changes pan out over time. Having personal stories from patients, caregivers and staff will help us keep a pulse on the impact of these closures. Please send messages anytime you have a story to share - staff members who want to remain anonymous can text me personally at 815-252-7096 (Colleen).

12/02/2025

Join us on 1430 WCMY at 9:35!