The designation was restored, effective immediately, on March 11 after the Illinois Department of Public Health and Vista Medical Center East reached an agreement.
“IDPH’s goal throughout the period since February 2 has been to work with the hospital management to ensure they can provide the essential, life-saving trauma care for the people of Lake County and the surrounding area that are required to hold a trauma center designation,” Michael Claffey, public information officer for IDPH, said in a March 11 statement shared with Becker’s.
The hospital initially lost its designation “due to its absence of essential services needed to maintain this designation, including lack of a blood bank, anesthesia, neurology, urology, or a full-time trauma coordinator,” Mr. Claffey said in an email shared with Becker’s on Feb. 5.
The hospital, which is part of Waukegan-based Vista Health System, was acquired by Glendale, Calif.-based American Healthcare Systems in 2023 for $23.5 million.
“Vista Medical Center-East is pleased to announce that its Level II Trauma designation has been reinstated by the Illinois Department of Public Health,” Faisal Gill, chief legal officer for American Healthcare Systems, said in a statement shared with Becker’s. “Vista always has been and remains committed to providing the highest quality of medical care for the community.”
Mr. Gill also thanked the more than 1,000 employees for “their hard work in regaining this designation.”
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