Midwestern Regional Medical Center Heliport

Economic Reasons. The heliport's closure was a direct consequence of the shutdown of the hospital it served. The hospital's parent company, City of Hope (which had acquired CTCA), closed the Zion facility due to financial challenges, declining patient volumes, and a strategic decision to consolidate operations, rendering the medical center and its associated heliport unsustainable.

The heliport is permanently closed and defunct. In 2023, the entire former hospital property, including the site of the heliport, was purchased by the Zion-Benton Township High School District 126. The site is slated for redevelopment to be used for educational purposes by the school district.

The heliport was a private, special-use facility dedicated to supporting the Midwestern Regional Medical Center. Its primary function was to handle medical helicopter flights, including medical evacuation (medevac) and inter-facility patient transfers. It was a critical component of the regional Emergency Medical Services (EMS) network, allowing for the rapid transport of critically ill patients, particularly those requiring the specialized oncology care for which the hospital was known. The heliport enabled air ambulance services like Flight for Life to access the hospital directly, saving crucial time in life-threatening situations.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening. The heliport's existence was entirely dependent on the medical center, which is permanently closed. With the property now owned by a school district for a completely different purpose, the revival of the heliport is not feasible or planned.