Silver is gold
BY MARILYN OLSON For Sun-Times Media
The new Silver Cross Hospital will open on Sunday, Feb. 26, at 7 a.m. at I-355 and Route 6 in New Lenox. The new facility will usher in a new era for patients and staff who have been waiting for the state-of-the-art facility to open its doors. | SUPPLIE
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No one ever wishes to be hospitalized, but in the event it is necessary, area residents will soon have the advantage of a brand new Silver Cross Hospital.
This beautiful state-of-the art facility with the latest technology will be opening in just a few days on Feb. 26.
And while the building will be new, the public can be assured that the same exceptional staff, nurses and physicians will be there to greet them. The 100 Top care that the community has come to expect from Silver Cross will be transplanted into this architecturally stunning hospital.
The new hospital opens at 7 a.m. on Feb. 26, a culmination of six years of planning, design and construction on its 76 acre campus, located at Interstate 355 and Route 6, New Lenox. Access is extremely easy off of I-355, and it is only a few miles down the road from the former campus on Route 6.
When walking through the front doors, you immediately sense a calm atmosphere that helps to reduce stress associated with illness and injury. Care has been taken to incorporate a soothing decor, with natural colors and other amenities to ensure the comfort of patients and their families. But do not be deceived. There has been no sacrifice of technology at the new facility.
The new hospital is designed to provide patient- and family-centered care. Evidence has shown that when family members are involved, patients tend to heal more rapidly.
“Every facet of the new hospital was designed with one goal in mind: to provide an extraordinary experience for patients and visitors,” said Paul Pawlak, president and CEO of Silver Cross Hospital. “Hundreds of doctors, nurses and caregivers were involved in the design, assuring that every aspect of the hospital was well thought-out.”
“We wanted to create the safest and most efficient rooms to allow us to give the best possible care to our patients,” said Peggy Gricus, Vice President of Patient Care. “There’s even a sofa sleeper in each room for family members.”
All rooms are private and spacious, and many have a view of the Chicago skyline. All invite natural light into the rooms, and sound-dampening measures reduce hospital noise allowing better healing and sleep for patients.
New technology is incorporated everywhere in the hospital, but nowhere is it more evident than in the new Procedural Care Unit. This unit brings together surgery, endoscopy, interventional cardiology and interventional radiology in one central area. Eleven state-of-the-art operating rooms have been outfitted so that surgeons can see imaging scans during procedures. In addition, the rooms have green lights to make it easier for surgeons to see the patient’s anatomy. A DaVinci robotic surgical system will allow less invasive surgical procedures, with less pain and shorter recovery time for patients. There are 66 private pre-post procedural rooms, and a large post anesthesia care unit with two private pediatric recovery rooms.
A larger, 38-bed Emergency Department means quicker treatment for emergency patients. Patients may even access the ED online to determine wait time, if any. A helipad outside the door allows critical patient transfer by helicopter if needed.
Patients, family members and visitors will enjoy the amenities of the new hospital. The Seasons Dining Room will offer brick oven pizza, charbroiled grill and homemade bakery. A walk-out patio allows enjoyment of the Dralle Serenity Garden. And the entire new campus has free Wi-Fi access.
Two new partnerships with leading Chicago health care facilities will extend the Silver Cross experience. Cancer patients will soon have access to the University of Chicago’s Cancer Center with a two-story outpatient facility at Silver Cross, which is set to open in May. This new partnership will allow patients to access specialists and take part in clinical trials, and all close to home,
For those requiring rehabilitation services, the world-renowned Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago will have a 24-bed inpatient unit at the new Silver Cross Hospital, as well as several outpatient services centers in the area.
Transfer of operations from the old campus to the new facility has been as carefully planned as a military operation. Every possible scenario has been considered, and the new hospital will be fully operational when it opens its doors on at 7 a.m. Feb. 26.
The new Silver Cross Hospital represents the same care, the same friendly faces, all in a new facility, ready to serve area residents.
For more information, visit www.silvercross.org.