Keeping the lights on at a 299-bed hospital doesn't come cheap — and according to a new lawsuit, one Chicago medical center has let that bill balloon into the millions without paying a dime. Commonwealth Edison Co. is now suing the hospital in Illinois state court, alleging a breach of contract stemming from more than $6.2 million in unpaid electric charges.

The Allegations at the Heart of the Case

ComEd's complaint, filed Friday, targets Community First Healthcare of Illinois Inc., the for-profit company that operates Community First Medical Center on West Addison Street in Chicago's Portage Park neighborhood. According to the utility, the hospital has let its unpaid balance as a retail electric customer climb to roughly $6.24 million — a sum that's grown steadily rather than appearing overnight.

ComEd's Case in Its Own Words

"Despite repeated demands for payment, defendant has failed to pay any of the amounts owed and is therefore liable to ComEd in an amount not less than $6,240,296.18 plus interest and costs," the utility said in its complaint, which alleges a breach of statutory duty rather than a simple contract dispute.

ComEd spokesperson John Schoen told Law360 on Monday that the company doesn't comment on pending litigation. Representatives for Community First did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A Hospital With a Rescue Story of Its Own

Community First Medical Center isn't just any hospital — it carries a backstory rooted in community intervention. The facility is a licensed 299-bed acute care hospital, according to its website, and Community First Healthcare of Illinois acquired it in December 2014 from Presence Health, described on the site as the largest Catholic hospital chain in Illinois with 12 hospitals at the time. The purchase, according to the hospital's own account, prevented the closure of what was then known as Our Lady of Resurrection Hospital.

How the Hospital Was Saved — According to Its Own Telling

The hospital's website frames its origin as a grassroots rescue mission: doctors and medical staff, recognizing the community's need for continued care in Portage Park, banded together as closure loomed. Their efforts ultimately pushed Resurrection Hospital's owners to put the facility up for bid, and together with Community First Healthcare of Illinois, they secured its survival in December 2014.

Community First Healthcare of Illinois describes itself as a purchasing company representing a relatively new corporate structure in the state — one explicitly designed to chase both public good and profit simultaneously, positioning itself as among the first entities of its kind in Illinois to take over an already-functioning hospital.

The Legal Claim: A Broken Statutory Duty

ComEd's lawsuit contends Community First Healthcare of Illinois has violated state law requirements obligating retail electric customers to pay for the service they receive. The utility says the hospital company has repeatedly ignored its monthly statements, leaving a balance of $6,240,296.18 outstanding as of Aug. 11.

"Due demand has been made upon defendant for the payment of the amount owed," the suit states. "Defendant has received the benefit of ComEd's services but refused and continues to refuse to pay" — language that frames the dispute less as a billing disagreement and more as a flat refusal to settle up.

ComEd's Footprint in Northern Illinois

ComEd, a subsidiary of Exelon Corp. and a public utility regulated by the Illinois Commerce Commission, supplies electricity to roughly 4 million customers across northern Illinois — a scale that makes this single unpaid account a small fraction of its overall business, even as it represents a significant sum on its own.

A Debt That's Been Building for Months

This isn't a bill that suddenly spiraled out of control overnight. According to an exhibit of line-item charges attached to ComEd's complaint, the hospital has been accumulating late payment fees since at least October 2024. That same exhibit shows the hospital's regular monthly electricity costs typically range between roughly $33,000 and $105,000 — a stark contrast to the multimillion-dollar total now demanded, underscoring just how long the balance has been left to accumulate.

What ComEd Wants From the Court

ComEd's complaint asks the court to award damages of at least $6,240,296.18, along with prejudgment interest and court costs — essentially seeking to recoup not just the unpaid balance, but compensation for the time it's gone uncollected.

ComEd is represented by its own attorney, Amir Karimzadeh. Counsel information for Community First was not immediately available Monday.