Daley shifts, will propose funding for S. Side clinic

Mayor Daley backed away Monday from a plan to let a privatehospital manage a Far South Side clinic and said he would proposeincreased funding to keep it independent.

The newly rehabilitated Roseland Health Clinic, at 115th andIndiana, could open as early as next month, Daley said.

He initially had sought a management agreement with nearbyRoseland Community Hospital to run the clinic, saying the city didnot have all of the $3 million needed to operate it.

But that plan was harshly criticized by community organizationsand by the ward's alderman, Robert Shaw (9th).

Shaw and others said they wanted the clinic run independently ofthe community hospital because they feared a merger would mean highercosts to the community's poor residents.

Initially, Daley said the city had $1.7 million for the clinic'soperation, $1.3 million short of the $3 million that HealthDepartment officials said was required to open its doors. He hadsaid a merger was the only way to ensure the clinic could operate.

Daley will propose extra funds as a budget amendment attomorrow's City Council meeting.

The mayor said the $1.7 million set aside for the clinic in the1990 budget was to come from Community Development Block Grant funds.He said the additional $1.3 million would come from money allocatedfor the Altgeld Clinic and for a temporary clinic that was servingRoseland.

The mayor said the clinic would provide most of its own majorhealth services such as pre-natal care, X-rays and infant care.

Daley predicted the clinic will open by the end of January. Thefacility, a rehabilitated and expanded former police district office,was to have opened this year, prior to Daley's election, but remainedshuttered because Health Department officials said they didn't haveenough money to run the clinic.

Shaw said he was "elated" with Daley's announcement, but notenough so to support him politically or in the City Council.

"He should live so long," Shaw said. "We were promised thisclinic a long time ago, but we could never get the city to budgetenough money to operate it. I am very happy that Mayor Daley hasagreed to provide the money we need to open its doors."