Chamber member The University of Chicago Medicine has announced plans to reopen an adult trauma center on its campus as part of a major expansion project. The $270 million project will increase access to trauma care for South Side patients, who as of late have had to travel miles to other care centers.
Crain’s Chicago Business released a detailed overview of the project.
From the Crain’s Chicago Business piece:
The plan, called Get Care, aims to fill a gap in programs the community has called for and boost access in other areas. The proposal calls for a Level I adult trauma center, relocating and expanding the chronically overcrowded adult emergency room and transforming the 33-year-old Mitchell Hospital into a facility that specializes in cancer care with 188 more inpatient beds.
More than 1,000 people would be hired to fill new jobs, akin to staffing a new community hospital.
“It's a dramatic step to increase access to health care on the South Side of Chicago, not just for trauma, but also to respond to the needs of the ER and complex care,” U of C Medicine President Sharon O'Keefe said in an interview Feb. 16. “We're making a huge investment in this project over the coming years.”
The plan proposed to the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board contains three key aspects: a Level 1 adult trauma center at the University of Chicago campus, a relocated and expanded adult ER, and a transformation of the hospital into a cancer center with an increased number of inpatient beds.
After responding to community leaders and members with the proposal, the University of Chicago Medicine will continue the process by going through a series of approval steps.
Click here to read the full Crain’s Chicago Business piece.