Community First Medical Center Malpractice & Violations

How well a hospital or medical center adheres to healthcare standards helps shape the quality of care patients receive. Safety protocols, quality standards, and patient surveys set the foundation for hospital ratings.

Chicago, IL, patients deserve access to quality healthcare services. Using these ratings, patients can choose the right healthcare facility for their medical needs. Hospitals that don’t maintain a minimum standard of care could be held liable when patients are injured.

Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers helps residents and their families seek compensation after receiving poor-quality healthcare services. Our Chicago medical malpractice attorney team is on a mission to help people injured through medical negligence.

About Community First Medical Center

Overview

Community First Medical Center is a Chicago-area hospital at 5645 W Addison St, Chicago, IL, 60634. The 299-bed medical center offers acute care treatment services. Available services include spine and orthopedic, radiology, cardiology, extended care, nutrition, pain control, and rehabilitation. Emergency care services are also available at the facility.

Community First Medical Center is a private, non-profit hospital serving the local community in Chicago, IL. The hospital claims to offer state-of-the-art health services and treats various medical conditions.

Ownership and Affiliations

Community First Medical Center was previously known as Resurrection Hospital. Resurrection Hospital was owned by Presence Health, a Chicago-based Catholic Hospital chain with 12 locations. The hospital was at risk of closing in 2014.

The center’s doctors came together to submit a bid, ultimately keeping the facility open. The facility’s doctors created Community First Healthcare to purchase the hospital. The two biggest shareholders of Community First include Edward Green and Rick Muckelrath. The ownership team claims it will continue to be a medical center Chicago residents can rely on.

Reputation and Performance

Patient surveys and reviews can be a great way to learn about the level of care available at a medical center. The U.S. News and World Report ranks the best hospitals in Chicago, Illinois, and the rest of the country.

The U.S. News and World Report organization gives Community First Medical Center a one-star rating for overall patient experience [1]. The medical center also received below-average ratings for specific treatment services such as heart attack care. Patient experience scores are based on discharge surveys.

Community First Medical Center patients rank the center a one-star in overall satisfaction, willingness to recommend, doctor communications, and nurse communications.

Notable Legal Actions Against Community First Medical Center

Lawsuits and legal actions provide further information about the quality of care available at a medical center. Community lawsuits against this hospital include the following.

Failure to Provide a Safe Environment

The Chicago Department of Buildings filed a lawsuit against Community First Medical Center for failing to maintain safe parking structures. The plaintiff alleges that the medical center is aware of decaying concrete walls and ceilings, which present a danger to patients and visitors.

A judge ordered the hospital to close the parking structure in June 2024 until necessary repairs are made. While this lawsuit doesn’t list any known injuries, it does show that the hospital has failed to follow safety guidelines [2].

Failure to Follow COVID-19 Protocols

Community First Medical Center was cited $13,500 for failing to follow COVID-19 masking guidelines in 2020. A group of nurses filed the complaint, alleging that three of their coworkers died from the virus after the masking protocols were not upheld.

A follow-up inspection found that the hospital failed to properly fit the staff for protective equipment or create a protection program, both of which were Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA) requirements [3].

Inspection and Deficiency Reports at Medical Center Community First Hospital

Organizational reviews conduct inspections and deficiency reports, which can provide further information about a healthcare center’s quality.

The Illinois Hospital Report Card and Consumer Guide to Health Care report that 28% of patients would recommend Community First Medical Center to others, which is 38% lower than the state’s average [4].

The Community First Medical Center ranks lower than both state and national averages in many categories, including discharge instructions, the cleanliness of patient rooms and bathrooms, and staff explanations regarding medications. Community First Medical Center patients also reported low satisfaction ratings for doctor and nurse communications.

Medicare also conducts annual inspections of healthcare facilities and gives Community First Medical Center a one-star rating.

Emergency care services are one area with a low rating at Community First Medical Center. 13% of Medicare and Medicaid patients reported leaving the emergency department before being seen, much higher than the state average of 5% and the national average of 3% [5].

Community First Medical Center patients also wait longer for medical care in the emergency department, averaging 230 minutes. This is much longer than the state average of 190 minutes and the national average of 168 minutes for other medium-volume hospitals.

Understanding Medical Negligence and Your Rights

Medical negligence is when a healthcare provider’s care is below the average standard and, as a result, leads to patient injury. In severe cases of medical negligence, the patient could even lose their life.

Common types of medical negligence that can occur at a healthcare facility include the following:

• Surgical Mistakes: Mistakes that occur during surgery may be considered negligence. These mistakes may include anesthesia errors, wrong-site surgery, or leftover tools.
• Medication Mistakes: Medication errors may be medical negligence, including prescribing the wrong medication or dosage.
• Failure to Diagnose or Treat: Doctors or nurses who fail to diagnose or treat promptly could worsen their patients’ conditions.
• Improper Care: Improper care could include any behavior in which staff mishandles a patient’s condition or treatment.

Regardless of the negligence you experience, you may be eligible for compensation. A patient who receives poor-quality care may be subject to lost wages, medical expenses, and pain and suffering.

Medical negligence lawyers can be valuable to a malpractice case. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers help injured patients understand their legal rights while gathering the necessary evidence to build a strong case.

Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers helps injured victims seek justice through case investigations, expert witness statements, and a deep knowledge of the Illinois legal system. Our medical negligence lawyers have the expertise to build a strong case, negotiate a fair settlement, walk you through your legal options, or represent you in front of a jury or judge.

Secure Expert Legal Representation!

If you or a family member were injured by the negligence of a hospital or nursing home, you may be eligible for compensation. A medical negligence lawsuit helps injured patients recover the funds they need to move on.

Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers is on a mission to improve the quality of care available at Chicago’s healthcare facilities. By investigating cases and holding negligent doctors and healthcare providers accountable, we can help shape Illinois’s medical services’ quality.

IL sets strict time limits on lawsuit eligibility. To protect your lawsuit eligibility, contact our staff as soon as possible.

Contact a personal injury lawyer in Chicago today at (888) 424-5757 or fill out our online form.

Resources: [1] U.S. News and World Report, [2] Block Club Chicago, [3] Chicago Sun Times, [4] Illinois Hospital Report Card, [5] Medicare

All content undergoes thorough legal review by experienced attorneys, including Jonathan Rosenfeld. With 25 years of experience in personal injury law and over 100 years of combined legal expertise within our team, we ensure that every article is legally accurate, compliant, and reflects current legal standards.