Two days after flooding issues and power outages spread across Lake County, Lake Forest Hospital remains closed to all patients Friday and hospital officials have yet to say when it might reopen.
The hospital closed Wednesday afternoon due to standing water and power losses, according to a statement from Northwestern Medicine. Power was restored at 8:45 p.m. Wednesday. Hospital officials did not immediately return calls seeking comment Friday, but a statement on the hospital website said the facility remained closed.
A total of 93 patients were evacuated and some were discharged, said Megan McCann, a spokeswoman for Northwestern Medicine Thursday. The hospital originally had the number of patients evacuated at 70.
McCann did not know how many patients were at the hospital at the time of the evacuation or if any remained.
Patients were moved by private ambulance services using an evacuation plan developed by the hospital, Lake Forest Fire Chief Pete Siebert said in an email.
Lake Forest firefighters helped the hospital with command and logistical efforts for the transportation, Siebert said.
Patients were taken to Northwestern Memorial in downtown Chicago or other area hospitals, according to the hospital’s website.
Gastrointestinal, endoscopy and elective surgery patients are being redirected to the Grayslake Outpatient Center.
The hospital’s Health and Fitness Center reopened on Thursday.
McCann said she did not have any information on when Lake Forest Hospital will reopen to patients, the extent of flooding the hospital is dealing with or whether evacuated patients would return.
Lake Forest Hospital is currently constructing a new building that’s scheduled to open March 2018, according to a spokesperson for the hospital. The new hospital will be composed of five pavilions. Local preservationists have requested that part of the existing hospital be preserved once the new medical center opens.