If the Walls Could Talk

If the Walls Could Talk

A struggling Chicago hospital did just about anything to admit patients. During the '90s and 2000s, Edgewater Hospital performed hundreds of unnecessary heart surgeries on patients just to pad its bottom line. Multiple patients died. Hear what lengths the government went in order to stop the fraud and why many believe the owner got away with it. Former employees, patients, investigators, and urban explorers recount the tangled history of what happened within the walls of Chicago's Edgewater Hospital.

Episodes

October 27, 2022 • 7 mins

It's not a coincidence that many celebrities who performed at Edgewater Beach Hotel wound up in the "private suites" at Edgewater Hospital. Todd recently joined Tommy Henry on the Chicago History Podcast to explain why and shared a few other similarities between the two buildings. 

Hear the full episode about Chicago's famed Edgewater Beach Hotel in Episode 503

Episode 306 of the Chicago History Podcast features Todd Ganz and ...

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There were other suspects in the mysterious murder investigation of Edgewater Hospital's Teresita Basa. In this special Q&A, learn about them and whether Reme Chua was considered a person of interest. Hear why one of Allan Showery's lawyers was later disbarred and find out about the odd connection to Edgewater Hospital's Peter Rogan and Roger Ehmen.

If the Walls Could Talk Podcast shares the true crimes that destroyed Chicago's...

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November 7, 2021 • 29 mins

Accused of murdering Teresita Basa, Allan Showery's trial began in 1979. Given the unusual circumstances of the case -- namely that police were tipped off by a ghost -- lawyers on both sides were challenged to convince 12 indecisive jurors. But it's what happened after the trial that still remains a mystery.

See pictures and learn more about the Teresita Basa case on our website: IftheWallsCouldTalkPodcast.com , Instagram ...

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October 31, 2021 • 33 mins

Teresita Basa was found dead in her Chicago apartment with a knife in chest. The beloved Edgewater Hospital employee had been murdered and set on fire in 1977. With few leads, the case went cold...until Teresita's ghost returned from the grave to identify her killer: another Edgewater Hospital employee named Allan Showery. Hear the shocking true story of one the most unusual murder investigations in Part 1 of this Bonus Episode.&nb...

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Is one of Edgewater Hospital's doctors sitting on death row? Why did Peter Rogan get such a short prison sentence? What happened to the hyperbaric chamber? In this jam-packed Q & A episode, we'll answer those questions and a dozen others about the Edgewater Hospital saga. A panel of experts also discuss whether there could be another Edgewater Hospital.

Find additional photos and articles on the episode page of our website: Ift...

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March 21, 2021 • 26 mins

Dr. Maurice Mazel was Edgewater Hospital's leader who treated Hollywood's elite and turned his tiny neighborhood hospital into Chicago's premiere medical facility. For 51 years, he ran the hospital at 5700 N. Ashland Avenue like a hotel -- complete with bellhops, private suites and celebrity sightings. Hear more about the "good" years of the hospital. Plus, learn if the Chicago Paranormal Investigators found any ghosts in this...

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March 14, 2021 • 41 mins

Roger Ehmen served 6 years in prison for his role in Edgewater Hospital's fraud scheme. He shares how he managed to turn that darkness into an opportunity and, in the process, found his calling. Plus hear the shocking updates about Peter Rogan, Dr. Andrew Cubria and other players in the scheme in this tell-all "where are they now" episode.

Learn more about Westside Health Authority and how you can support the non-profit organizatio...

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March 7, 2021 • 35 mins

Peter Rogan abruptly ended his extradition fight and returned to the United States. He faced up to 50 years in prison and a $1 million fine for obstruction and perjury charges. Meanwhile the long-awaited redevelopment of Edgewater Hospital finally commenced and unearthed plenty of surprises.

Learn more about how Peter's sentencing hearing finally made headlines -- for different reasons -- on the episode page of If the Walls Could T...

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February 28, 2021 • 46 mins

Edgewater Hospital closed in 2001, but the hospital still saw dozens of people come and go. Some of the many visitors were Urban Explorers who photographed the abandoned hospital during the 15 years it sat idle. One person actually went to the abandoned Edgewater Hospital to receive treatment. Much to his surprise -- he found it.

See the numerous photos we referenced in this episode on our website: IftheWallsCouldTalkPodcast.com

He...

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February 21, 2021 • 33 mins

After losing a $64 million civil suit to the government, Peter Rogan fled to Canada and lived in a swanky Vancouver penthouse. Even after the feds filed criminal charges, they struggled to bring him back back to Chicago. Meanwhile, the Edgewater Hospital campus crumbled and became a magnet for crime. The neighborhood demanded it be torn down.

See photos of Peter Rogan's yacht and haunting images of the abandoned hospital on the epi...

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February 14, 2021 • 34 mins

As a handful of Edgewater Hospital doctors and Roger Ehmen headed to prison, Peter Rogan walked away a free man. While not charged criminally, Peter was sued in civil court. The United States vs Peter Rogan went to trial in 2006 and featured plenty of explosive testimony. At stake were tens of millions of Peter's dollars.

See the photos that attorney Wes Johnson took in the abandoned hospital on our website: IftheWallsCouldTalkPodc...

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February 7, 2021 • 29 mins

Edgewater Hospital management feared someone might be cooperating with the FBI and wearing a wire. That led to staff meetings conducted in unusual places. And then the investigation came to a screeching halt leaving everyone asking: "Now what?".

Read the 58-count indictment on the episode page of our website: IftheWallsCouldTalkPodcast.com

Hear bonus content, additional stories, interviews and behind-the-scenes content by supportin...

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January 31, 2021 • 28 mins

One Edgewater Cardiologist performed hundreds of invasive procedures on patients who didn't need them. Two of those patients died. Learn the tragic story of Dr. Andrew Cubria and the shocking way he tried to cover up what he did.  

See pictures of Dr. Cubria and learn more about the "heartless heart doctor" on the episode page of our website: IftheWallsCouldTalkPodcast.com

Unlock hours of bonus interviews, stories and beh...

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January 24, 2021 • 27 mins

Multiple Edgewater Hospital doctors secretly recorded conversations for the FBI. This provided the feds with the gory details on how the hospital lured in patients...including offering cash and cigarettes. Most alarming were the invasive tests and procedures doctors performed on these patients...whether they needed them or not.

Watch the cringeworthy TV news clip of Dr. Monty McClellan on the episode page of our website: IftheWalls...

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January 17, 2021 • 29 mins

Patients who were not sick were being admitted to Edgewater Hospital and placed on a second floor unit. This mysterious section of the hospital was off-limits to most staff...leaving them wondering what was happening. Before long, the FBI opened an investigation.

See pictures of Edgewater's infamous patient: John Wayne Gacy and more on the episode page of our website: IftheWallsCouldTalkPodcast.com

Backdraft was one of the handful ...

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January 10, 2021 • 33 mins

Edgewater Hospital is the birthplace of Hillary Clinton, John Wayne Gacy and tens of thousands of Chicagoans. It was Chicago's premier hospital for 50 years -- but that changed following the sale to a man named Peter Rogan. The fraud that followed quickly overshadowed the hospital's once-sterling reputation. In this true crime series, former Edgewater Hospital staff, patients and investigators recount what happened and why many bel...

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January 8, 2020 • 1 min

A struggling Chicago hospital did just about anything to stay afloat including performing hundreds of unnecessary tests and procedures on patients. In the end, multiple patients were dead and its former owner fled the country. Left behind was an abandoned hospital that became a magnet for crime and a symbol of egregious insurance fraud.  

If the Walls Could Talk recounts the true crimes and tangled history of Chicago's Ed...

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