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"Palos 20/20 promises to set a new standard for the delivery of health care services in the Southwest suburbs and allows Palos Community Hospital to continue providing the quality of care that people have come to expect."

Sister Margaret Wright, President, Palos Community Hospital

PALOS 20/20

A Vision for the Future of Health Care in our Community

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The mission of Palos Community Hospital has always been to offer world-class health care in a compassionate and caring environment. For nearly 40 years, we have fulfilled that mission by combining the medical expertise of highly skilled physicians and nurses with the latest technology to provide the most effective medical procedures and treatments available. This year, we begin to reenvision that mission as we break ground on one of the largest redevelopment initiatives in Palos history.

Palos 20/20 will bring to the Southwest suburbs our vision for the future of health care. With a $420-million investment, we plan to redefine the health care experience by uniting the medical expertise of our dedicated professionals with the very best integrated medical practices in a comprehensive healing environment that begins the moment you set foot on our campus.

Planning for our expansion began in 2006, and in 2007, construction started on a 600-space parking garage with valet service and an energy-efficient power plant. Construction continued, in 2009 with the expansion of our Emergency Room. This June, we break ground on the central component of Palos 20/20 - a 400,000-square-foot addition that will house our medically integrated and innovative Center for Short Stay Care, 12 advanced surgical suites, a state-of-the-art 36-bed intensive care unit (ICU) and 192 new single-patient rooms.

The new addition, which will reposition the entrance to the north side of the campus, will nearly double the size of the existing hospital, and allow us to significantly expand in our mission to offer the most advanced and comprehensive health care services available. And we intend to do this in an environment that's designed not only to improve the patient experience but patient outcomes.

Integrated Procedure Services

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of Palos 20/20 is the integrated surgical and procedure services area and the Center for Short Stay Care (CSSC). Integrated procedure services will be located on the first floor of the new addition, and will combine surgery, interventional radiology and gastrointestinal/endoscopy procedures in a single functionally and physically integrated space.

The state-of-the-art operating suites are the highlight of the new space. Each will be large enough to house all of the necessary equipment to perform a variety of inpatient and outpatient procedures, which will eliminate the need for specialty rooms. The surgical area also will include four endoscopy suites, a minor surgery room and an interventional radiology suite.

"The design of the new integrated procedure services area will improve efficiency for both patients and staff," says Joan Janek, director of Surgical Services. "Patients will experience a more relaxed and seamless process, and those who accompany them will be comforted by not only the new surroundings but our automated patient tracking system. Staff will benefit from more accommodating work environments, spacious operating rooms, state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging, integrated technologies, improved lighting and easy access to the services they use throughout the day."

Center for Short Stay Care

For each service provided in the integrated procedure services area, patients will use the adjacent Center for Short Stay Care for procedure preparation and outpatient recovery. The CSSC is an innovative concept in hospital care. Both inpatients and outpatients will receive pre-procedure care within the area. Outpatients will then transfer back to the CSSC from either the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) or their procedure room, and will remain in Short Stay until they are ready to go home. Inpatients will transfer to a private patient room. New tracking technology will be able to follow patients through the entire process so families can be updated on an ongoing basis.

"The concept behind the design of the CSSC is to provide a more efficient, comfortable and seamless model of care for both patients and their families," says Trish Heerlein, assistant vice president, Special Care Units. "It offers a single point of entry for all patients undergoing any invasive procedure, whether it's a surgical, interventional radiology or endoscopy procedure. In a fast-paced and technologically advanced environment, the CSSC will provide a calm and accommodating atmosphere that will be more conducive to the healing process."

Enhancing Patient Privacy

Because of the documented success of nursing pods, which put nurses within eyesight of patients at all times, Palos will incorporate a variation of the concept on all inpatient floors. In addition, all 306 newly constructed and fully refurbished private rooms will include additional equipment and storage space for necessary supplies, which can be hidden when not in use. All rooms will offer greater privacy for the delivery of bedside treatments and for family members so they can be more involved in the healing process.

Soothing room décor, advanced technology and quick access to care will help reduce infections and enable physicians, nurses and other health care providers to deliver the most effective care possible. "One of the most important benefits will be our ability to maintain our already low infection rates," Heerlein says. "Studies also have shown that private rooms are therapeutic, comfortable and efficient. The quiet environment can improve not only blood pressure and heart rate, but also quality of sleep and pain management."

Private patient rooms, integrated procedure services and the Center for Short Stay Care are the cornerstones of Palos 20/20. The six-year project will be constructed in two phases, with the 400,000-square-foot addition expected to be complete in 2013. Once the structure is fully operational, work will begin to convert existing semi-private patient rooms to private, and to expand such areas as the Emergency Room, Cardiology, Radiology and other support services. When both phases are complete, Palos Community Hospital will be home to:

  • The medically integrated Center for Short Stay Care, offering a single point of entry for all outpatients
  • 306 new and fully refurbished private patient suites
  • 36 state-of-the-art intensive care rooms
  • 12 advanced operating suites
  • An integrated outpatient testing facility
  • An expanded Emergency Department
  • Such significantly enhanced hospital support services as laboratory, pharmacy and radiology

"We're very excited to bring this project to our community," says Sister Margaret Wright, president of Palos Community Hospital. "It promises to set a new standard for the delivery of health care services in the Southwest suburbs and allows Palos Community Hospital to continue providing the quality of care that people have come to expect."

Since Palos Community Hospital opened its doors in 1972, both our community and advancements in health care have grown exponentially. By expanding and enhancing our services, our goal is to offer convenient access to more integrated procedures and treatments without compromising our mission of providing world-class health care. With Palos 20/20, Palos Community Hospital will continue to meet and exceed the health care needs of our patients and our community well into the future.