Silver Cross Builds New Medical Center in Homer Glen

Larger facility to include walk-in emergency care, diagnostic imaging & doctor offices

Silver Cross Hospital is gearing up to bring more of its “Top 100” services to the Homer Glen community with a replacement medical center next to its current facility at 143rd St. and Bell Rd. The construction, which began last fall, is scheduled to be completed by October 2007. At that time, the old facility will be demolished to make room for additional parking.

“Our current medical center is not designed to accommodate the population growth and the types of services that patients desire,” says Paul Pawlak, President and CEO of Silver Cross Hospital in Joliet. “We have seen an increasing number of patients from Homer Glen and the surrounding communities using existing services on the hospital campus, so it’s only natural that we make these services available right in their community-close to home.”

The new 30,000 sq. ft., $11.5 million facility will still house a variety of physician offices. But the hospital is bringing some new services to the community including walk-in Emergi-Care staffed by 24 hours, 7 days a week by emergency department trained physicians. Patients will be able to have their MRI, CT, and X-ray tests performed at the new medical center.

In creating this new model for care, Silver Cross conducted several community focus groups in addition to soliciting input from the medical community. “We learned that patients want their care to be personalized yet uncomplicated, so we are investing in trained staff and advanced technology to make each and every health care experience seamless,” said Theresa Quinn, Director of Ambulatory Care.

For example, patients will be able to pre-register for tests online and can easily self check-in at the time of their appointment using automated kiosks in the lobby. This new technology, which is also being installed at the hospital this spring, will speed-up the process by eliminating much of the dauntless paperwork that occurs during registration while not sacrificing the quality of care and service.

Patients and physicians alike will also benefit from the hospital’s electronic medical record (EMR) network, which is the first of its kind in the region. If a patient is transferred to Silver Cross Hospital for additional care, their entire medical record will be available through the computer system before the patient even arrives. With this highly advanced electronic health network, patients will ultimately receive better care while eliminating any waits for test results or other medical information.

“We know that in today’s society, everyone’s time is very valuable,” says Quinn. “Therefore, we want to give our patients options in how they access our services. In return, will we go the extra mile to understand and even anticipate the needs and wants of each and every one of our patients. For example, if we know that Mrs. Smith likes to be called on her cell phone if we are running a few minutes behind schedule, we will do that. Or if Mr. Jones has a difficult time walking, we will be waiting for him in the parking lot with a wheelchair when he arrives.”

“We also wanted to create a healing environment, so we are establishing a calm atmosphere filled with soothing and natural light whenever possible,” said Quinn. “We also hope to work with local artists and schools to fill our community art gallery with cheerful artwork.”

In this new facility, Silver Cross plans to continue its long tradition of community outreach offering a variety of free educational classes and screenings.

Over the last 20 years, Silver Cross has developed an extensive ambulatory network throughout the region that includes nine satellite facilities with over 90 physicians and an array of outpatient services such as X-ray, MRI, mammography, physical therapy, dialysis and occupational health care. These Silver Cross Professional Buildings are located in Channahon, Joliet, Lemont, Morris, New Lenox, and Wilmington. For more information or a referral to a physician at one of these locations call 1-888-660-HEAL (4325) or visit our online physician referral service.