Provident Hospital evacuated following bomb threat hoax

A bomb threat Saturday afternoon temporarily disrupted operations at Provident Hospital in Bronzeville before a police sweep determined there was no actual explosive device on site.

The hospital, part of the Cook County Health system, received a call at about 3:30 p.m. regarding the potential bomb threat and immediately alerted police, who dispatched the bomb unit within minutes. A one-hour sweep yielded “negative results,” and the hospital was issued an all-clear, according to police.

“There was no device discovered,” a police spokesperson said.

Despite the reported bomb threat, the hospital was not evacuated during the police sweep, Provident spokesperson Alexandra Normington said.

In a memo issued to staff and obtained by the Tribune, the hospital said it would remain vigilant and encouraged employees to report any suspicious activity to security.

“The safety of our staff, patients and visitors is our highest priority,” the hospital said. “The security team at Provident will remain on high alert and CPD will continue to monitor.”

Chicago Police said the hospital was deemed “safe and secure” and that no one was in custody over the bomb threat as detectives investigated the incident.

Founded in 1891 as the first Black-owned and operated hospital in the country, Provident was acquired by Cook County in 1991. After substantial upgrades to the facility, Provident reopened as part of the Cook County Health system in 1993.