IDPH recommends ways to eradicate trauma care deserts

IDPH recommends ways to eradicate trauma care deserts
IDPH recommends ways to eradicate trauma care deserts

IDPH recommends ways to eradicate trauma care deserts

WBEZ brings you fact-based news and information. Sign up for our newsletters to stay up to date on the stories that matter.
When an adult on Chicago’ South Side is facing a high level emergency, access to care is not as available as if that resident lived on the city’s North Side. Level 1 trauma centers require more specialized care and 24-hour readiness, making them more expensive to run. Because South Side residents don’t have this access, the area is often classified as a trauma desert. Now, the Illinois Dept. of Public Health has released recommendations on how to increase access to care and rid places like the South Side of its desert status. We talk to IDPH Director Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck about what the feasibility study outlines as most immediate needs here in Chicago and around the state. Photo: Flickr/swanksalot