CHICAGO — As the government shut down continues into its 15th day, the question remains if hospitals could be affected.

Loretto Hospital officials say they are already facing challenges.

The non-for-profit hospital has no money on reserve, so when unexpected expenses hit them — they are forced to fill the gap.

"It's all about the funding. How do we fill in the day-to-day funding gaps to operate as a safety net organization based on our reinbursement rates? That's the day-to-day with us. We already operate lean, so when something unexpected like a generator breaks, it really has us going back to the table and trying to reimagine how we come up with the dollars to fill up that gap," said Tesa Anewishki, CEO of Loretto Hospital.

The hospital's CEO and other officials gave Congressman Raja

See Full Page