Northwest Community Hospital offers public tours Sunday
Yes, the new South Pavilion at Northwest Community Hospital looks spectacular, and private rooms seem like great perks, but this all contributes to better health care, too, officials say.
The 200-bed addition to the Arlington Heights hospital will be open for public tours from 1-5 p.m. on Sunday, April 25. It will swing into operation May 1.
The pavilion's 284,000 square feet on nine floors are the result of six years of planning before more than two years of construction at a cost of $204 million.
Private rooms help prevent the spread of disease, says Dr. Allan Malmed, president of the medical staff. In double rooms, "having a quiet and comforting environment was one of the biggest difficulties patients had," he said.
Hospital leaders are hoping the private rooms with couches for overnight visitors mean family members are around more, which research shows contributes to healing.
Having people there so patients don't try to get up on their own also helps prevent falling, as does being able to walk to the bathroom while holding a bar along the wall rather than crossing an open room.
Malmed pointed out other improvements in the pavilion.
"Take hand washing," he said. "We didn't understand as well as we do now how important it is. In the new pavilion you can't go anywhere without bumping into a sink and a dispenser of antiseptic."
High-risk obstetrics and advanced neonatal care were areas Malmed said show dramatic improvements. Caesarean deliveries for women with triplets are now possible at Northwest Community, he said.
In the special-care nursery even babies get private rooms with space for Mom or Dad to stay the night and practice caring for the child when the family goes home.
The hospital's neonatologists also are on staff at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago.
Multiple nursing stations and an advanced call system are expected to improve care. Each room also has advanced monitoring and treatment technologies and Wi-Fi access.
Another feature that makes life easier for patients and families is a balcony on every floor where they can take a break or get fresh air without having to go downstairs.
Officials also say the building has an environmentally friendly construction and operation, which is expected to earn a LEED designation. One example is the cherry veneer in the first-floor hallway - all sliced from one tree. Efforts to reduce the heating and air conditioning needs include planting no-maintenance rooftop gardens.
The South Pavilion is part of Northwest Community's $250 million expansion project that also include a new parking garage, renovating and expanding the emergency room, demolishing the mental health building and renovating a new area for that service.
Roughly half of the cost has been covered with tax-exempt bonds, 40 percent from reserves the hospital has saved over the years and 10 percent with donations.
The largest previous fundraising campaign raised $8 million, while this one garnered $28.5 million, said Diane Hill, chair of the foundation board.
The East Pavilion will be renovated to create private rooms, too, but the timetable depends on funding, said Bruce Crowther, president and chief executive officer.
"The vision to transform the way health care is delivered," Crowther said. "It's different from what you see around the country; a labor of love for a lot of people."