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JANUARY 15,
2005--Celebrating the birthday of Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr., members of ACORN (Association
of Community Organizations for Reform Now)
marched on the home of Advocate Health Care's
Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Lee Sacks, on
Saturday, January 15th, in response to what
organizers call a "racially divisive" statement
made by Sacks about the quality of medical care.
During a November hearing on building a new
Advocate hospital in Tinley Park, Sacks referred
to Cicero Avenue as a dividing line for
communities serviced by Advocate South Suburban
Hospital, which serves approximately
50%
minority patients, and the more
affluent white communities that
would be served by a new hospital to
be built fourteen minutes away from
South Suburban Hospital.
"As a
lifelong Chicagoan, I've learned a
long time ago that there is [sic] a
lot of invisible geographic barriers
in the metropolitan area," Sacks
said when asked by state regulators
why a new hospital was needed
instead of expanding services at
South Suburban.
ACORN
spokesperson Rev. Robin Hood called
the statement "insensitive" and
exemplary of the "medical apartheid"
mentality at Advocate's corporate
headquarters.
"If
he were alive, Dr. King would be
here with us today to challenge Mr.
Sacks on whether he really believes
there should be a two-tiered system
for health care--one for affluent
whites and one for minorities. We
will be standing for Dr. King," Hood
said.
To read local news coverage of the
protest
click here.
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