Loretto Hospital Malpractice & Violations

Hospitals are supposed to serve the community, adhere to healthcare standards, and ensure every patient receives excellent care. Ratings and violation records help to warn consumers of potentially dangerous hospitals, making them crucial for deciding where to receive treatment.

A poor track record of service puts patients at risk of medical malpractice, which can be deadly or even fatal.

If you’ve been the victim of medical neglect or malpractice at Loretto Hospital in Chicago, IL, Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers can help you get justice. A Chicago medical negligence attorney from our team can negotiate with the hospital to receive compensation, ensuring you can recuperate in dignity and comfort.

About Loretto Hospital

This Chicago medical center focuses on delivering accessible healthcare to west side communities.

Overview

Loretto Hospital is located at 645 South Central Ave, Chicago, IL 60644, which is in the Austin neighborhood. This 177-bed hospital provides emergency medicine, primary care, women’s healthcare, behavioral health services, podiatric medicine, geriatric services, dental care, and vision care.

This hospital is the largest non-governmental employer in the Austin community, with over 600 employees.

Ownership and Affiliations

Loretto Hospital is a not-for-profit, community-focused healthcare company. It was previously managed by Renaissance Management Company (RMC), which operates healthcare and administrative services for our various facilities.

Loretto Hospital is also affiliated with the Loyola University healthcare system.

Reputation and Performance

Loretto Hospital has an Average rank on all measures calculated by US News and World Report, indicating that it does not perform well in any one service. [1]

The hospital has not submitted enough information to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to calculate a rating; it provided no information to CMS on patient mortality or patient experiences. [2]

Additionally, the hospital did not solicit enough patient survey results to calculate a patient satisfaction report [3]. Only 5% of patients responded to the hospital’s survey, or just 42 respondents.

Leapfrog, a healthcare industry watchdog group, gave Loretto Hospital a B rating on its recent Hospital Safety Grade report [4]. However, many of the measures used to calculate the rating were unavailable.

Notable Legal Actions Against Loretto Hospital

Several significant legal cases have been filed against this facility.

Embezzlement of Hospital Funds

In July 2024, Block Club Chicago reported that Anosh Ahmed, the former financial chief officer of Loretto Hospital, was accused of stealing $15 million. His friend Sameer Suhail, a medical supply company owner, was charged in the same indictment.

The two worked with the hospital’s former Chief Transformation Officer, Heather Bergdahl, to set up bank accounts in Texas that would funnel money to hospitals where Ahmed served as CEO. Calls between the three conspirators showed they worked together to defraud Loretto Hospital.

Bergdahl was arrested by federal officials in May 2024 while trying to board a flight to Dubai, where Ahmed and Suhail had already escaped to avoid arrest.

The ex-CEO of Loretto Hospital, George Miller, was also added to the lawsuit in October 2024 after evidence showed he worked with the other conspirators to defraud the hospital of millions. He received more than $750,000 in bribes. [5]

Stealing COVID Vaccines

A 2021 report from Block Club Chicago also showed that Ahmed, Suhail, and other hospital executives worked together to steal COVID-19 vaccines, meant for employees and patients, from Loretto Hospital and provide them to their friends and family. This included Ahmed’s neighbors in the Trump Tower and Loretto Hospital CEO George Miller’s church members. [6]

In a private comment, Ahmed Ahmed bragged about vaccinating former president Donald Trump’s son during a vaccination event at Trump Tower meant to serve Black and Brown hotel employees. [7]

Medical Neglect Leads to Patient Escape

In October 2018, Gregory Manley was admitted to the hospital’s psychiatric unit to treat his bipolar disorder, but he was never allowed to see a physician. After five days of waiting for help, he grew desperate and climbed out of a third-story window, where he then lost his footing and fell to the ground.

Nurses falsified records to claim they checked on Manley every 15 minutes, but evidence proved otherwise. The unit faced severe staffing shortages, leading to Manley’s escape attempt after being ignored for almost a week.

Manley fractured his spine and pelvis in the fall. He sued the hospital for neglect, and shortly after this, Block Club Chicago and the Better Government Association investigated Loretto Hospital. [8]

Inspection and Deficiency Reports at Loretto Hospital

Recent investigations show significant deficiencies at Loretto Hospital. The Illinois Hospital Report Card shows that only 52% of patients would recommend this facility, which is 14% lower than the state average. [9]

The hospital also tends to keep patients longer than the state average, including for diabetes complications, septicemia, and pneumonia. [10]

Loretto Hospital performs poorly in many serious indicators, including sepsis care. Only 19% of its patients received appropriate sepsis care, which is very low compared to the 60% state average. [11]

On average, people spend 182 minutes in the hospital’s emergency department before discharge, an hour longer than comparable hospitals in Illinois.

Surveys show that Loretto Hospital has a very poor reputation. Only 43% of survey respondents would rate the hospital at a 9 or 10 out of 10, compared to the state average of 67%. [3]

Understanding Medical Negligence and Your Rights

Medical negligence occurs when medical staff fail to uphold care standards when serving their patients. This neglect can cause significant harm to patients, including death or worsening symptoms.

Common types of medical negligence include:

• Failure to Diagnose – When a doctor does not find a disease in time, it can cause further complications.
• Surgery Errors – Operating on the wrong body part or failing to clean the surgical site can result in sepsis or other serious side effects.
• Improper Care – This form of negligence can include not responding to a patient’s request, not adhering to best practices in treatment, or even being abusive.
• Neglect – As happened to George Manley in 2018, doctors and nurses can refuse to assist patients or ignore their needs, causing significant harm.
• Medication Mistakes – Giving a patient the wrong dosage or type of medication can harm or kill them.

A malpractice lawyer holds hospitals accountable for failing to provide the best treatment to those under their care. Our medical malpractice law firm will negotiate with the hospital for a fair settlement offer, ensuring you have the funds you need to recover.

Secure Expert Legal Representation!

The statute of limitations for medical malpractice in Chicago, IL, is two years, so you must contact a lawyer as soon as possible for assistance.

Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers is a nationally recognized personal injury firm that has recovered millions in damages for our clients. We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you owe us nothing unless we win your case.

To schedule your free consultation with an experienced Chicago personal injury attorney, call (888) 424-5757 or complete our contact form.

References: [1] US News and World Report, [2] Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, [3] Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, [4] Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, [5] WTTW, [6] Block Club Chicago, [7] Block Club Chicago, [8] Illinois Answers Project, [9] Illinois Hospital Report Card, [10] Illinois Hospital Report Card, [11] Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

All content undergoes thorough legal review by experienced attorneys, including Jonathan Rosenfeld. With 25 years of experience in personal injury law and over 100 years of combined legal expertise within our team, we ensure that every article is legally accurate, compliant, and reflects current legal standards.