University of Chicago Medicine moves for $269 million expansion of South Side access to care
Expansion plan would provide relocated emergency department, trauma center and cancer treatment facility, University of Chicago Medicine says.
Rendering of expansion plans provided by University of Chicago Medicine
University of Chicago Medicine is moving to address a long-standing lack of access to emergency, adult trauma and complex care for the city's South Side residents with a $269 million expansion project they call the "Get CARE Initiative". The system submitted the plan and a certificate of need to state regulators this week, UChicago Medicine said in a statement released Thursday.
CARE stands for Community, Access, Reliability, Excellence and points to UChicago Medicine's mission of commitment to neighbors, providing equal access to care for South Side residents, keeping doors open 24/7 for anyone who needs care, and providing quality care, UChicago Medicine said.
The plan, which is now under review by the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board, seeks to relocate and expand UChicago Medicine's current adult emergency department closer to its newest facility, the Center for Care and Discovery, in the hopes of reducing wait times and serving more patients. Second, it would establish a level 1 adult trauma center at its Hyde Park campus, where there are already pediatric trauma and burn/complex wound centers.
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The plan also repurposes Mitchell Hospital into a dedicated cancer treatment hospital. Cancer disproportionately affects South Side residents for several reasons, UChicago Medicine spokeswoman Lorna Wong explained. "Patients on the South Side have unique health care needs. African-Americans suffer a higher incidence of certain types of cancer and higher mortality rates from cancer. The American Cancer Society attributes the higher mortality rates, in part, to a lack of access to quality, timely care," Wong said.
To support the new expansions, UChicago Med hopes to restore the count of inpatient beds to 188, which is closer to the facility's capacity in the 1970's. "This bed request will help address capacity issues that have been limiting patients' access to care and straining the network of providers, as ambulances are diverted elsewhere and community hospitals are unable to transfer patients in need of complex care to UChicago Medicine," the system said in a statement.
"For 310 days last year, our hospital was so full that we were forced to turn some patients away; while others endured longer-than-acceptable wait times. We must address these capacity constraints to provide the care our community and patients need," added Sharon O'Keefe, president of the University of Chicago Medical Center.
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Wong added that the South Side has suffered a landslide of hospital closures over the past several decades. Since the mid-1980s, she said, the South Side has lost at least seven hospitals including Woodlawn Hospital, Englewood Hospital, Central Community Hospital, Lakeside Community Hospital, Chicago Osteopathic Hospital, Doctors Hospital (originally called Illinois Central Hospital), and Michael Reese Hospital. These losses have added to the lack of access to care there, making residents more vulnerable.
Published reports say there has not been an adult trauma center on the South Side since Michael Reese Hospital closed in 1991, and that prolonged gap in care has contributed negatively to mortality rates for violence victims.
University of Chicago Medicine commented on what appears to be a long, and often times contentious dialog between them and the South Side community over the lack of a trauma center and current plans for expansion. "The community has helped shape this outcome, and the passion driving that contribution has been a part of our decision-making. We began with an analysis of the needs of our community that weren't being met. Level 1 adult trauma care was one of those, and so was increased access to emergency services and specialty care for complex cases. After exploring different possibilities, we came to the realization that an integrated plan was the best way to serve our community. UChicago Medicine's plan is, in part, an outgrowth of what community members told us they wanted from our hospital. We listened and we responded. We will work actively with all our community partners to ensure Get CARE provides our community with access to the care they need. UChicago Medicine will continue meeting and working with community leaders to gather input on the plan and community programming," UChicago Medicine said.
The expansion plan will be a boon for jobs as well, creating 1,000 permanent positions and 400 construction jobs.
The elements of the proposal must first be approved by state regulators. The initial step in the regulatory process is the filing of a Certificate of Need. Decisionmakers will hear this proposal at a hearing in May, and if it gets the greenlight, Wong said ground would be broken shortly thereafter. She said the first phase, which includes the enhanced emergency department and establishment of the adult trauma center, could be operational by 2018, with the repurposing of Mitchell Hospital into a cancer center possibly reaching completion by 2020.
Twitter: @BethJSanborn
