Overview

• A chilled water line in the main tower failed Monday morning, cutting off cooling to the HVAC system and critical medical equipment.
• The emergency department was placed on ambulance bypass as part of safety protocols during the outage.
• Many scheduled surgeries were postponed to maintain safe conditions amid rising indoor temperatures.
• Hospital officials say they are taking interim safety measures to protect patients and staff until full cooling is restored.
• Chicago is enduring heat index values above 100 degrees, intensifying risks at facilities with aging infrastructure.