ER Doctor Stabbed In Chest By Patient At Chicago Hospital: Reports

CHICAGO — A doctor was stabbed in the chest and another hospital employee was also injured in an attack by a patient Monday at Provident Hospital, according to reports.

The incident occurred around 1 p.m. in the 500 block of East 51st Street in Chicago, when a male produced a sharp object and stabbed the 56-year-old man, who was brought to the University of Chicago Medical Center in fair condition, police said. The attacker was taken into custody and detectives were investigating, according to police.

FOX 32 reported the victim was an emergency room doctor and a second staffer was also hurt.

“This situation had the potential to be tragic, and it is thanks to the quick and decisive actions of our staff that further harm was prevented,” Cook County Health CEO Erik Mikaitis told the Chicago Sun-Times in a prepared statement. “Incidents like this are deeply unsettling and are sadly indicative of increasing violence against health care professionals.”