CHICAGO —  Community activists rallied in support of Mercy Hospital in Bronzeville Monday, arguing the health care of thousands of people is at stake.

Mercy is the city’s oldest hospital, which mainly serves people of color and where more than 80% of its patients are low-income and uninsured. 

Mercy’s owner Trinity Health wanted to close the hospital and replace it with an outpatient center, but Last week a state review board voted to keep the hospital open — at least for now. 

Community members said Monday it’s outrageous to even be having the discussion about closing a hospital during a pandemic, saying its possible closure is a matter of life and death. 

“We need our governor Pritzker to hear the cries of the community and the cries of the people. They don’t want to die but if you don’t do something, they will die. So we might fight for our community,” said Joyce Ball, a nurse at Provident Hospital

Trinity has said it plans to go back before the board next year to once again try to close the hospital and open that outpatient center.