Lightfoot defends plan to keep Mercy Hospital open Ryan Voyles 3 years ago Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Wednesday defended her decision to negotiate a deal with the new operators of Mercy Hospital and Medical Center to keep the south side facility open.To access this content, you must purchase 1 Year Health News Illinois Subscription or 1 Year Group Subscription - Up to 5 Users, or log in if you are a member.