Hartgrove Hospital Abuse Lawsuits
Hartgrove Behavioral Health System in Chicago's Austin neighborhood is a psychiatric facility operated by UHS of Hartgrove, Inc., a subsidiary of Universal Health Services (UHS). It treats children, adolescents, and adults — and it has been the subject of criminal charges and civil lawsuits alleging the sexual abuse of minor patients.
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Criminal Charges Against a Former Hartgrove Counselor
According to the Cook County State's Attorney's Office, on December 1, 2025, prosecutors filed five felony counts against Edmund Rivers, a former Hartgrove mental-health counselor. Prosecutors allege he sexually abused five boys, ages 7 to 14, at the facility between 1996 and 2004; the counts include three counts of criminal sexual assault and two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault, and a judge ordered him detained.12
Mr. Rivers has been charged, not convicted. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
According to prosecutors, Rivers worked at Hartgrove from 1993 to 2004 and had daily contact with minor patients, and several survivors came forward after learning of a civil lawsuit filed against the hospital.12
About Hartgrove Hospital
Hartgrove Behavioral Health System is a psychiatric hospital in Chicago serving children, adolescents, and adults, operated by a subsidiary of Universal Health Services. According to public reporting, it has long received many young people placed by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
The Civil Lawsuit
In December 2024, a lawsuit was filed in Cook County against UHS and Hartgrove on behalf of a former child patient; attorneys said more than 100 former minor patients — some as young as 8 — had come forward with abuse allegations involving Hartgrove and other UHS Illinois facilities.34 UHS rejected the allegations and said it would defend the cases.4
Universal Health Services (Parent Company) Context
Hartgrove is one of several UHS behavioral-health facilities in Illinois. A U.S. Senate Finance Committee report titled "Warehouses of Neglect" documented systemic problems in UHS youth residential facilities.5 UHS also resolved a federal billing matter for $122 million with the U.S. Department of Justice in 2020.6
Regulatory & Compliance History (separate from abuse allegations)
As a matter of regulatory/compliance history — not evidence of patient abuse — HHS OIG records show Hartgrove Behavioral Health System agreed to pay $735,671.64 (June 23, 2023) to resolve allegations that it employed an individual it knew or should have known was excluded from Illinois Medicaid, disclosed under a Corporate Integrity Agreement. In each such settlement the party contested OIG's allegations and denied liability, and no finding of liability was made.7
Note on the Building / "Garfield Park"
The former Hartgrove site at 520 N. Ridgeway Avenue now operates as Garfield Park Hospital, also a UHS facility.8 If you were treated at that location under either name, you may have a claim.
Who Can File a Claim
You may be able to pursue a claim if, as a minor, you experienced sexual abuse while a patient at this facility.
Time Limits
Time limits can apply to these claims. The sooner you reach out, the more we may be able to do — and speaking with us is free and confidential.
How We Help
We investigate confidentially, obtain records, and guide you through every step. There is no cost to speak with us, and no fee unless we win.
Why Slater Slater Schulman
For decades, our firm has represented survivors of institutional abuse.
Who We Are
Slater Slater Schulman LLP is a prominent full-service law firm with over 40 years of experience representing survivors of catastrophic and traumatic events, including litigating against the Boy Scouts, clergy, medical professionals, and members of the justice system.
The attorneys at Slater Slater Schulman LLP take a personal approach to representation. We are here to ensure that survivors have the opportunity to confront their past with the full support of our large legal team.
We are honored to have represented more than 3,500 survivors in the historic $4 billion settlement with Los Angeles County—the largest of its kind in history.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
Every factual claim on this page is cited to the listed source. Links open the original document; access dates reflect our most recent verification.
- 1.Cook County State's Attorney's Office announces charges against former Hartgrove Hospital mental-health counselor — Cook County State's Attorney's Office, December 1, 2025 (accessed June 9, 2026)Official release ↩
- 2.CBS News Chicago report on the charges against Edmund Rivers — CBS News Chicago, December 2025 (accessed June 9, 2026) ↩
- 3.FOX 32 Chicago report on the December 2024 lawsuit involving UHS Illinois facilities — FOX 32 Chicago, December 12, 2024 (accessed June 9, 2026) ↩
- 4.WGN-TV report on the December 2024 lawsuit against Hartgrove and UHS — WGN-TV, December 12, 2024 (accessed June 9, 2026) ↩
- 5.Warehouses of Neglect: How Taxpayers Are Funding Systemic Abuse in Youth Residential Treatment FacilitiesPDF — U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, June 2024 (accessed June 9, 2026)Official .gov source ↩
- 6.Universal Health Services, Inc. and related entities to pay $122 million to settle False Claims Act allegations — U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, July 10, 2020 (accessed June 9, 2026)Official release ↩
- 7.HHS-OIG enforcement action: Hartgrove Behavioral Health System ($735,671.64, June 23, 2023) — HHS Office of Inspector General, June 23, 2023 (accessed June 9, 2026)Official .gov source ↩
- 8.ABC7 Chicago report on the former Hartgrove building at 520 N. Ridgeway (now Garfield Park Hospital) — ABC7 Chicago, December 13, 2024 (accessed June 9, 2026) ↩
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Mr. Rivers is presumed innocent unless proven guilty; UHS and Hartgrove deny the civil allegations, which have not been proven in court. The HHS-OIG matter is a billing/exclusion compliance settlement, denied by the party, with no finding of liability — it is not evidence of abuse.