New Hospital

Silver Cross opens New Lenox campus health center

Hospital to follow in 2012 

Silver Cross Hospital's presence in New Lenox increased by 50,000 square feet last weekend as the first building on Silver Cross' new campus opened Saturday, Sept. 26.

After the ribbon was cut on the health center at 1870 Silver Cross Blvd., just south of U.S. 6 on Silver Cross' replacement hospital campus, attendees of the grand opening had a chance to tour the facility and its six medical offices – including the Children's Memorial Outpatient Center.

"[Children's Memorial's] presence on this campus means families no longer have to travel to Chicago for pediatric specialists," said Paul Pawlak, president/CEO of Silver Cross.

Among the services offered at the 13,000-square-foot outpatient center are cardiology, neurology, orthopaedic surgery, psychiatry and rehabilitation (audiology, physical therapy). Ultrasound, X-ray and blood draw services are also available.
 
"[Children's Memorial] will continue to bring healing and hope to Will County," Pawlak said.

On the first floor of the two-story center, Children's Memorial is joined by Advanced Eye Care and Hinsdale Orthopaedics, with the Silver Cross Center for Women's Health set to open Oct. 19. Partners in Obstetrics and Women's Health, Spectrum Eye Institute and a second Hinsdale Orthopaedics office occupy the second floor.

HSA Commercial Real Estate built the health center, and HSA President Dan Miranda said the goal was to make the facility "not just a building, but a living thing to offer these services."

Illinois Sen. Christine Radogno (R-41st) was among those who spoke during the grand opening, and she acknowledged that while Silver Cross' move to New Lenox from Joliet was opposed by the City of Joliet, the new campus will benefit the entire area.

"It's such an important plan in our region … this improves the region in general and in every way," Radogno said. "I'm very confident Silver Cross will continue to serve all the areas it has in its long history."
   
Dr. Dan Gutierrez, chairman of the hospital's board of directors, later talked about Silver Cross' vision for the future.

"We're not limiting our vision for another community hospital … within 10-15 years we hope and plan to have a premier center serving this region and the southwest suburbs and the southern portion of Cook County.

"This is the first step on the road, but believe me the board has that vision."

Silver Cross' 560,000-square-foot, 289-bed replacement hospital is scheduled to open in 2012.

Ruth Colby, the hospital's vice president for strategic development, said everything is "on time and on budget" for the new hospital.

"It's very exciting," Colby said. "They've already got the first six floors of steel up and we're moving forward as planned."