University Of Chicago To Build Level 1 Adult Trauma Center In Hyde Park
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The University Of Chicago announced Thursday that it will build a Level 1 trauma center in Hyde Park, providing critical emergency care that had been lacking for South Side residents for years.
According to a news release that plan calls for:
- A Level 1 adult trauma center that will complement the existing Level 1
pediatric trauma program and the burn and complex wound center in Hyde Park. - A new and expanded emergency room in close proximity to the Center for Care and Discovery.
- More inpatient beds, offering care to patients with serious conditions such as cancer and heart disease or who need complex surgical and other procedures.
"I applaud the University of Chicago's plan to strengthen access to the care the community needs most," said
Mayor Rahm Emanuel. "Having access to a Level 1 adult trauma center, alongside increased access to
emergency and specialty care, will strengthen our entire network of care on the South Side."
For decades, South Side residents in need to critical emergency room care had to be transported as far at Northwestern on the near North Side, Stroger Hospital on the near West Side or Advocate Christ Medical Center in suburban Oak Lawn.
Earlier this fall, University of Chicago Medicine and Sinai Health System announced a proposed partnership
to offer Level 1 adult trauma care at Holy Cross Hospital, part of Sinai's network, on the Southwest Side.
However, University of Chicago determined that it would be more feasible to integrate a new adult trauma center with its existing infrastructure.
"We deeply value our relationship with Sinai Health System and its enormous contributions to the network
of care in Chicago," said Sharon O'Keefe, president of the University of Chicago Medical Center. "We
recognize Sinai's experience and excellence in trauma care. At the end of the day, we realized that
integrating all of these services on one site, on our campus, made the most sense for South Side patients."
A timeline for the new center is still to be determine as the University needs to pass several regulatory steps.