Lurie Children's Hospital Providing 24/7 Pediatric Hospitalist Care at Vista East

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago will provide 24-hour pediatric hospitalist coverage, including inpatient pediatric care and emergency room consults, at Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan. Beginning September 9, 2013, board-certified pediatricians will be in the hospital 24/7 to round daily on young patients, assist with patient care in coordination with each child's pediatrician or specialist, and be on call to assist with pediatric emergencies in the Vista East Emergency Room.

“Children should be cared for in the most convenient and appropriate setting,” said Patrick Magoon, president and CEO of Lurie Children's. “Our hospitalist coverage allows children to stay in their community to receive skilled and experienced pediatric care.”

Vista East already has on-site hospitalists who see adult patients around the clock while coordinating care with family physicians and specialists. This will be the first time Vista has had full-time pediatrician hospitalists.

“We're proud to begin this association with Lurie Children's Hospital because it builds on our long history of providing quality pediatric care to the communities we serve,” said Barbara J. Martin, President and CEO of Vista Health System. “This new agreement allows us to offer pediatric expertise associated with one of the nation's top children's hospitals.”

For decades, Lurie Children's has formed partnerships with community hospitals and outreach locations to provide greater access to pediatric care throughout the Chicago area. Lurie Children's is one of the top children's hospitals in the country according to U.S.News & World Report. It is the pediatric training ground for Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and one of only a handful of U.S. children's hospitals with a dedicated pediatric research center. Last year, Lurie Children's cared for more than 148,000 children.

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Vista Health System is a network that includes: two hospitals in Waukegan – Vista Medical Center East and Vista Medical Center West; the Vista Lindenhurst campus that holds the Vista Ambulatory Care Center, Lindenhurst Surgery Center, LLC, the Vista Freestanding Emergency Center, and the new Vista Medical Office Building; and several locations for imaging, patient therapy and physician practices. Vista is a Center of Excellence in a number of key service areas and is accredited in Bariatric Surgery, Cancer, Chest Pain, Congestive Heart Failure, Orthopedics, Rehabilitation and Stroke.