URGENT COMMUNITY ALERT!

PROTECT THE AVAILABILITY OF CRITICAL

IN OAK PARK AND AUSTIN

Community Meetings Planned

Make Your Voice Heard!

Please Pass this Message Along to Your Friends in Oak Park and Chicago�s West Side!

November 4, 2003

Dear ACLU of Illinois Action Alert Member,

The Board of Directors for Oak Park�s West Suburban Hospital has signed a letter of intent to merge with Resurrection Health Care. Other hospitals operated by Resurrection follow all directives from the Catholic Church, limiting availability to critical reproductive and health care services. Make your voice heard on this critical issue!

Concerned citizens are organizing two community meetings to discuss this discouraging development in the coming days. Please join with doctors, nurses, and community health advocates as they share information and answers about health care in your community. Here are the dates and times:

Monday, November 10th
7:00 p.m.
LaFollette Park
1333 North Laramie

Tuesday, November 18th
7:00 p.m.
Oak Park Public Library, Dole Branch
255 Augusta Street

A West Suburban Hospital operated by Resurrection Health Care may be:

1. Banned from distributing, or even discussing, the use of condoms or contraceptives as a means of preventing pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, or sexually transmitted diseases;

2. Barred from providing survivors of sexual assault with emergency contraception as a means of protecting against pregnancy as a result of a violent, sexual assault; and,

3. Prohibited from performing tubal ligations and infertility treatments (including in vitro fertilization).

The only other hospital in Oak Park does NOT provide obstetrics services. If a woman cannot access these reproductive services at West Suburban, she will be compelled to travel outside the community for these critical services.

For further information, go to http://www.mergerwatch.org/hospitals/Chicago.html

or contact West Suburban Hospital Merger Watch at (312) 592-6867 or WestSuburbanMergerWatch@yahoo.com

Thank you �
You action can make a difference!