Mercy Medical Center in suburban Aurora has had its Level II trauma center designation revoked by the state of Illinois due to its “absence of essential services,” according to the state health department.
The former Ascension hospital, now owned by California-based private equity group Prime Healthcare, was notified of the change by the Illinois Department of Health on April 20, IDPH said.
According to a revocation letter, the hospital has a lack of trauma surgeon availability, a lack of trauma coverage and has failed to comply with parts of the Illinois Emergency Services Act, the IDPH said.
“This action does not affect other services at the hospital and patients can still walk into the ER for emergency treatment,” IDPH said.
Trauma care is the emergency medical treatment given to people with serious injuries, like those from car crashes, falls, or violence, IDPH said. It includes everything from the ambulance response to hospital care, surgery, and recovery, provided by specially trained teams.
Prime Healthcare acquired the hospital, along with seven others Ascension hospitals in March of 2025. In a press release at the time, Prime said it was “committing $250 million to invest in facility upgrades, capital improvements, substantial technology investments and system upgrades.”
In a statement about the status loss, Prime said it was the one withdrawing the hospital’s designation, saying the number of Level II trauma patients seen at the hospital has “significantly declined,” and that the Level II status “does not accurately represent the emergency care needs of those patients.”
Prime added the hospital plans to continue “all other emergency care services.”
In Illinois, a Level I Trauma Center provides all essential trauma services on-site and is fully staffed 24 hours a day. A Level II Trauma Center provides some essential services on-site 24/7, the state said, “while other essential services are available but may require on-call staff or transfer arrangements.”
“Mercy Medical Center’s trauma designation update does not change the quality-of-care patients will continue to receive in the emergency room,” Prime’s statement said, adding that all current hospital services will go on “without any change or interruption.”
Prime’s statement also said that EMS services will direct those in need of Trauma II care to another designated trauma center, “but this represents a very small number of patients.” Other nearby Trauma II centers, including Rush Copley Medical Center, and Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital in Geneva, are located approximately nine miles away.
In a statement sent to NBC Chicago, Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin said the change in status is “shocking.” Irvin added he hopes the status is only temporary.
The move comes days after Prime, which also owns St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, said it was suspending pediatric inpatient care at that hospital due to low volume.
“Where are we supposed to go in the middle of the night if my child gets seriously sick? Naperville is almost 30 minutes away,” one Joliet resident told NBC Chicago after learning the news.
In February of 2024, Vista Medical Center East, in Waukegan, lost its Level II trauma center status, though it regained the designation one month later. In recent weeks, the north suburban hospital — owned by American Healthcare Systems, a separate California-based private equity group — said it was temporarily cutting emergency cardiac care hours, citing a staffing shortage.
According to the company website, AHS’ current CEO and Chairman, Michael Sarian, is the former President of Hospital Operations for Prime Healthcare.
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