Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find hospitals in Illinois

Begin your search for a hospital with a directory of hospitals in Illinois that provides size and rank data for hospitals in your area.

I recommend: Get information from the Joint Commission, an independent, non-profit organization that accredits hospitals and other health care organizations. MedlinePlus, a service of the National Library of Medicine, provides a database of hospitals. The Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network (ICAHN), which provides professional services, education and resource sharing among rural hospitals in IL, lists member hospitals on its website. Find lists of trauma centers from the Illinois Department of Public Health and veterans hospitals from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Know where the nearest Illinois trauma hospitals are located

A trauma center provides emergency care for accidents and other traumas 24 hours per day. Trauma centers are ranked either level one or level two based on their facilities and equipment.

I recommend: Saint Francis Hospital, owned and operated by Resurrection Health Care, is a level one trauma center that specializes in emergency and cardiac care. Rockford Memorial Hospital, part of the Rockford Health System, has a pediatric intensive care unit and centers for heart, vascular, brain and spinal care as well as a level one trauma center. Silver Cross Hospital is a level two trauma center that provides specialty care in several areas. All three are highly ranked, award winning hospitals that are accredited by the Society of Chest Pain Centers, a non-profit society focused on cardiac health.

Find an Illinois hospital that provides specialty care

Some hospitals are dedicated to a specific group or function, such as pediatric and rehabilitation hospitals. A pediatric hospital provides care for babies and children and particularly difficult cases. Rehabilitation hospitals help a patient recover physical, mental and sensory skills lost because of a disease or injury.

I recommend: Children's Memorial Hospital is a leader in pediatric care, and performs more medical and surgical specialties than any other hospital in the Chicago area. The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago has attained the highest rank for United States rehabilitation hospitals every year since 1991. It offers rehabilitation services for many conditions, including spinal cord and brain injuries, sports injuries, joint conditions and chronic pain.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When you are admitted to an Illinois medical center, make sure your medical team is aware of your medical history, especially what medicines you take. Find out if you should take your medicine while in the hospital. Keep a list of medicines you take. When given medicine, make sure it's part of your regimen. If it isn't, find out why it's being administered.