Concerns Grow Over Area Hospital’s Trauma Capabilities

Following reductions in medical services by some area hospitals this past spring, the Manhattan Fire Protection District is growing concerned over the decisions’ trickle-down effect, leaving the fire district to increasingly rely on helicopter service, which can only fly in certain conditions, or face longer transports and delayed access to critical care. 

“It’s really starting to affect where our patients are going,” Deputy Chief Dave Piper explained to the board of trustees during their monthly meeting. 

In Illinois, hospitals equipped to handle critically ill or injured patients are assigned one of two trauma designations, regulated by the Illinois Department of Public Health. Level I provides all essential services in-house 24 hours a day, and Level II provides most essential services 24 hours a day, according to the IDPH. 

Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn is the closest Level I hospital to the fire district, although it is outside the district’s driveable area. For Level II, the nearest facilities within the district are Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox and Riverside Medical Center in Kankakee. 

When seconds count, getting a critical patient to the right place can make a significant difference in their care and outcome. This is often the case with serious vehicular accidents, where victims need to be extricated or have been ejected from a vehicle. 

“All of the hospitals are able to take that patient in, try to stabilize the patient, and then transfer the patient to another hospital — the challenge is it takes time to do that,” Piper said, noting that if an individual needs Level I care, they’re going to need to go to Christ, to one of the downtown hospitals, or even to Peoria, which means a Life Flight by helicopter. 

Recently acquired by Prime Healthcare, St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet discontinued its pediatric care program in April, although it still maintains its Level II trauma designation.

It is worth noting, however, that Prime dropped the Level II designation at two other hospitals it acquired this past spring. Mercy Medical Center in Aurora is no longer a Level II trauma center nor is St. Mary’s Hospital in Kankakee, which lost its Level II trauma designation after suspending its OB coverage, which is required for Level II designation. 

“There’s a lot of concern about what this is going to mean for us as far as transport goes,” Piper said, noting they’re already feeling the loss of St. Mary’s Level II designation.

In June, the district transported 44 patients to Silver Cross Hospital, 20 to Riverside, and only three to St. Mary’s. 

Although there are still hospitals with a Level II designation nearby, the reduction in services puts pressure on all facilities — both those remaining Level II and those that need to stabilize and transport patients to hospitals with more services available.

The goal of EMS is to transport patients to where they can receive the care they need. The district is concerned about the hospitals’ ability to receive multiple critical care patients, especially because the district is growing and continues to see an increase in calls year over year. With fewer hospitals equipped to handle Level II care and more patients to be seen in the area, the concern is logical.

“All of our trauma patients now either need to go to Silver Cross or Riverside, and that’s the case for everybody. How much volume can those two hospitals continue to take is a concern of ours,” he added, noting it has been a point of discussion among fire chiefs in Will County.

MFPD consistently has reported the majority of their calls are medical in nature. Piper reported that in June alone, three significant accidents required extrication, and LifeFlight flew two people to receive the care they needed from those accidents. There were no fires in June. 

Piper explained the district has needed to rely on helicopters to transport patients, though in inclement weather, they cannot fly. 

“Where do we transport these patients to get them to the closest, appropriate facility?” Piper asked, emphasizing that time is of the essence.

The district continuously works on all aspects of its call time, collaborating with the Laraway Communication Center to improve dispatch time and working internally to improve turnout time.

One factor they can’t change, however, is drive time, which undoubtedly could become a major challenge if area Level II hospitals become overwhelmed or there are further reductions in care.

Piper’s report also noted County Line Road and Rt. 50, as well as County Line Road and Rt. 1, have been the site of major accidents, including a fatality last month at County Line and Rt. 50. The district has responded to 115 calls at that intersection since 2016, and is working with county and state officials to improve it, Piper said. 

Piper said the state, which has jurisdiction over the road, has made some changes, including adding rumble strips and flashing lights, but the district still gets called out to accident scenes about three-to-four times per month. 

Outside of call data, the district’s accountant, James Howard, reviewed finances, which appeared to be in good order. The board approved the updated district policy manual, which was reviewed by both the legal department and the union. The district also signed a letter of intent with Earthrise Energy to obtain a tax abatement for their upcoming development, although formal agreements outlining the specifics would be forthcoming.

Stephanie Irvine is a freelance reporter.