A notice was posted to the entrance of the Freestanding Emergency Center at Vista Lindenhurst after the emergency department shut down this week. | Photo Submitted to Lake and McHenry County Scanner

The Freestanding Emergency Center at Vista Health System’s Lindenhurst campus, which served western Lake County, has abruptly and permanently closed this week.

A source told Lake and McHenry County Scanner earlier this week that Vista Health System decided not to renew its state emergency room license, allowing it to expire at 12 a.m. Monday, for its Freestanding Emergency Center located at 1050 Red Oak Lane in Lindenhurst.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) confirmed Wednesday that Vista did not renew its license for the Freestanding Emergency Center, which opened in July 2011.

The emergency department at Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan remains open.

According to Vista, its Freestanding Emergency Center served western Lake County with complete emergency room services to treat patients.

The center had board-certified emergency room physicians, along with nurses and staff, on-site 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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After the center opened in 2011, Vista announced in late 2012 that it intended to build a $131 million hospital at the Vista Lindenhurst campus to “fill an urgent health care need in northwestern and north central Lake County.” That plan never came to fruition.

“Vista Medical Center is transforming itself into a strong community hospital for Waukegan and its surrounding townships,” Vista Health System CEO Bianca Defilippi said regarding its closure of the Freestanding Emergency Center.

“Part of our reinvention is to allocate the appropriate resources to each patient we serve. A primary focus of Vista Medical Center is to improve service lines by focusing on staffing structures which allow doctors and advanced practice providers to spend more time with patients while still operating efficiently,” Defilippi said.

“With this goal in mind Vista Medical Center has chosen to update services and staffing based on current patient volumes and needs at our facility in Lindenhurst,” Defilippi added.

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Vista’s Lindenhurst campus will continue to provide outpatient services.

Outpatient primary care will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays and 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Fridays.

The wellness gym will be open from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Outpatient therapy will be open from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Monday through Friday. Saturdays are by appointment only.

Outpatient radiology and the outpatient laboratory will both be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday through Friday.

Defilippi said Vista’s Waukegan hospital will continue to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

She said Vista will update the emergency department staffing by increasing nursing and physician coverage during the afternoon and evening hours to reduce wait times.

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