Chelsea Adolphus: Missing woman dies after body found on Waukegan hospital roof

A family is demanding answers after a woman went missing from Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan and was later pronounced dead after her body was found on the hospital's roof.

Authorities and hospital officials have yet to provide clarity on how this tragedy occurred, as the investigation continues.

What we know:

Chelsea Adolphus, 28, was admitted to Vista Medical Center East on Tuesday and went missing at some point afterward.

On Thursday morning, her body was discovered on the hospital’s roof. Sources indicate she may have wandered there in a confused state due to a medical condition, wearing only her hospital gown.

The Lake County Coroner reported she had been treated in the emergency room for 14 hours before being declared dead at 11 p.m. on Thursday. An autopsy was conducted Friday, though the results have not been made public.

"My sister didn’t deserve this. She was young and changing her life around to be an amazing person to travel the world through real estate," said Paul Adolphus, Chelsea’s brother. "Where is the surveillance team? Where's the camera? Where's the, hey, where's the doctors? What's going on here? Where's all this security that was there for no reason?" said Adolphus.

Sources also revealed that staff furloughs at the hospital resulted in the absence of "designated sitters" — individuals tasked with monitoring patients at risk of confusion or disorientation.

Adolphus' body was reportedly spotted on the roof by another patient’s husband.

"I’m just 100 percent I don’t think it’s fair that my sister came to a facility that is supposed to be safe and they end up being the one causing the death of my sister," said Adolphus.

What we don't know:

It remains unclear how Adolphus was able to access the roof. The exact cause of her death has yet to be confirmed, pending autopsy results.

Additionally, the hospital has not issued a statement or explanation about the incident.

The backstory:

Vista Medical Center East has faced scrutiny before. The hospital briefly lost its trauma center status last year after state officials identified deficiencies in critical services, including the lack of a blood bank and a full-time trauma coordinator.

What's next:

A joint press conference addressing the investigation is expected next week with the Lake County Coroner's Office and Waukegan Police.

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