Joliet: Nurses Sue St. Joseph Medical Center, Alleging Chronic Understaffing Endangered Patients

A Lawsuit That Names Names

Four nurses have filed a class-action lawsuit against Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, alleging that chronic understaffing endangered patients and forced staff to watch helplessly as patient needs went unmet. The suit, filed June 4 in Will County Circuit Court, names hospital owners Prime Healthcare Services and former owner Ascension Healthcare as defendants.

The plaintiffs are Cathy Wolff, Mary Sue Bulger, Paula Koranda, and Cindy Poe. Wolff and Bulger still work at the hospital. Koranda and Poe say they were forced out by intolerable conditions, according to the complaint.

The Allegations

The 21-page complaint accuses the hospital of violating two Illinois laws: the Nurse Staffing by Patient Acuity Act and the Hospital Report Card Act. The nurses allege the hospital repeatedly failed to meet minimum safe nurse-to-patient ratios across multiple units over several years.

According to the lawsuit, the understaffing resulted in:

• Delayed patient care and medications
• Patient infections
• Increased medical errors

"By endangering the lives of patients through severe understaffing and forcing Plaintiffs and other nurses to watch helplessly as the needs of their patients are ignored, the Defendants have engaged in conduct that is unethical, immoral and indifferent to the conduct expected of a hospital, to provide safe and adequate patient care," the lawsuit stated.

The nurses say they filed hundreds of "assignments despite objection" forms, the official documents used to flag unsafe staffing. They allege management disregarded those objections.

The Human Toll

The complaint describes severe personal consequences for the staff. The nurses allege they suffered fatigue, burnout, and physical symptoms from the workload.

Plaintiff Cathy Wolff alleges she sleeps only four to five hours each night because of her long hours. The filing further alleges that management treated Wolff and fellow nurse Melody Ryan as troublemakers and acted in disregard of their concerns.

Paula Koranda worked at Saint Joseph Medical Center for more than 52 years. The lawsuit alleges the number of nurses at the hospital dropped from 550 to 250, and that the companies forced out senior nurses by making work conditions intolerable.

The Dialysis Unit

The lawsuit singles out the dialysis unit as particularly dangerous. The complaint alleges only Wolff and Ryan have been assigned to the unit at various times, and that technicians were used for work that requires licensed nurses.

The nurses allege Prime Healthcare is currently attempting to set a ratio of one nurse for three patients in the dialysis unit, down from a safer standard of one nurse for two patients. The lawsuit accuses the hospital owners of setting staffing ratios "with no meaningful input from the nurses."

Leadership Changes Amid the Crisis

The lawsuit landed as leadership at Saint Joseph Medical Center is already in flux. On Wednesday, Prime Healthcare named Leonard Freehof as the new CEO of the Joliet hospital, effective June 22, 2026. Freehof replaces Larry Coomes, who served as CEO for eight months before moving to lead Resurrection Medical Center in Chicago.

"I am pleased to welcome Leonard Freehof as the new Chief Executive Officer of Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, Illinois. Leonard joins Saint Joseph Medical Center effective June 22, 2026," according to a memo obtained by WJOL.

Freehof brings more than four decades of healthcare leadership experience. He previously served as CEO of Spring Valley Hospital Medical Center in Las Vegas for more than 14 years and has worked with Universal Health Services and Tenet Healthcare.

The Companies Respond

Prime Healthcare and Ascension both signaled they intend to fight the claims.

Noel True, a Prime Healthcare spokesperson, said the following in an email:

"Saint Joseph Medical Center does not comment on pending litigation, and the majority of these allegations involve periods of time under previous ownership. Patient care is always our top priority with recent investments to support caregivers, and our current staffing practices align with national best practices for quality and safety."

Olga Solares, an Ascension spokesperson, said the company does not comment on ongoing litigation but is "committed to vigorously defending these allegations."

Prime Healthcare purchased Saint Joseph Medical Center from Ascension in March 2025 as part of a deal that included eight Illinois hospitals. Company officials have defended staffing decisions by citing the hospital's financial history. Officials said the hospital experienced "significant financial distress, including approximately $90 million in annual losses until it was saved by Prime Healthcare."

Why This Case Matters

The lawsuit is backed by the Illinois Nurses Association. The plaintiffs are seeking compensatory and punitive damages for intentional infliction of severe emotional distress and willful and wanton conduct.

The case tests whether nurses can hold employers legally accountable for unsafe staffing through a class-action suit, rather than through individual grievances or union disputes. The outcome could influence how nurses, unions, and hospital systems nationwide approach staffing conflicts.

The allegations have not been proven in court. Both defendants have denied wrongdoing and vowed to defend the claims.