UChicago Trauma Center Could Relieve Patient Volume In Christ ER

OAK LAWN, IL -- The South Side’s first new Level 1 trauma center in 27 years is expected to provide some much needed relief for Advocate Christ Medical Center’s overworked emergency center in Oak Lawn. University of Chicago Medical Center accepted its first patient on May 1. The new operation is the first open trauma center on the South Side of the city since 1991, when the center at the old Michael Reese Hospital permanently closed.

Christ Medical Center’s emergency room was built to serve 50,000 patients per year, but provides emergency care for 105,000 patients annually. The Oak Lawn medical campus has one of the busiest Level 1 trauma centers in Illinois.

“Advocate Christ Medical Center has served as the main trauma center for the south side of Chicago, south suburbs and northwest Indiana and has seen a large increase in patients since the de-designation of St. James Hospital in Olympia Fields in 2008,” said Dr. James Doherty, a surgeon and trauma medical director at Christ Medical Center. “The opening of the level 1 trauma center at the University of Chicago will offer an additional resource for the community and those who need trauma care in an area that’s traditionally been underrepresented.”

>>> Chicago's South Side Has Its First Trauma Center In 27 Years

UChicago first pledged to become a Level 1 Adult Trauma Center in December of 2015. The Hyde Park medical campus expects to treat at least 2,000 trauma patients during its first year of opening, but UChicago officials say the exact number of anticipated visits is hard to predict.

Last year, Christ Medical Center opened a state-of-the-art pediatric emergency center. The pediatric emergency department has expanded capacity, including six additional treatment rooms (up from 16), dedicated Level I pediatric trauma rooms, as well as psychiatric and isolation rooms. The medical center continues to add and expand services to its emergency department on the Oak Lawn campus.

Dr. Doherty says one direct change Advocate Christ Medical Center the local community can expect as a result of the new level 1 trauma center opening, is a lower trauma patient volume.

“Christ Medical Center will likely see a decrease in trauma patients as many of them will be transported to University of Chicago,” Doherty said. “That has the potential to benefit all patients as it reduces transport times, takes some of the stress off the system and allows for more resources to be devoted to treating patients with complicated injuries. Everyone wants what’s best for the community and to help those in need receive safe, high quality care as quickly as possible.”

~ File photo by Patch Editor Lorraine Swanson