Provident Hospital, the first Black-owned and operated hospital in America, was established in Chicago in 1891 by Dr. Daniel Hale Williams an African American surgeon during the time in American history where few public or private medical facilities were open to Black citizens. Though the historic Provident Hospital was forced to close in 1987 due to financial difficulties, it reopened in 1993 as part of Cook County's Bureau of Health Services to provide services to residents of Chicago's south side. It is now known as Provident Hospital of Cook County.