Alexian Brothers Women & Children's Hospital
New Alexian Brothers Women & Children's Hospital Addition at St. Alexius - Opening in 2013
FAQ
A Healthy Community begins with Alexian Brothers
The Alexian Brothers Hospital Network is excited to announce that we are moving forward with plans to construct a new $117 million Alexian Brothers Women & Children's Hospital in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. To prepare for this expansion, many months were spent ascertaining the specific health care needs of those living in communities across Chicago's growing northwest suburban area.
Pediatric services throughout the Alexian Brothers Hospital Network already rank among the best in the region in terms of scope and quality. This new specialty hospital will enable us to make an even greater contribution to the prevention, treatment and elimination of pediatric disease by providing resources that create greater access to advanced care for our patients and their families.
As with any new venture of this scale, there may be many questions about the project. What exactly are we building? How did we reach the conclusion to go forward? When will it come to fruition and, most importantly, how will this affect and benefit our patients and the entire community?
The following information addresses these questions and more. Our decision to construct this hospital was based on several in-depth studies and a wide variety of contributing factors – from population growth to increases in childhood diseases to a nationwide shortage of pediatric specialists.
Throughout our research process, we never lost sight of this simple fact: having a sick child can be one of the most overwhelming, frightening and uncertain experiences a family goes through.
Our mission as a health system is to identify and develop effective responses to the health care needs of those we are called to serve. By building a facility that will care for critically ill children closer to their families here in the northwest suburbs, we are serving that mission and filling an important need.
Mark A. Frey
Chief Executive Officer of the Alexian Brothers Hospital Network
Executive Vice President of the Alexian Brothers Health System
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do the Alexian Brothers have a long history and reputation for caring for children?
- What does the Alexian Brothers Hospital Network encompass?
- How was the decision to construct a new Women & Children's Hospital reached?
- Why is the need for pediatric and OB specialty care increasing in our community?
- Don't we have enough hospital and health services in our area?
- How will the services offered in the new Women & Children's Hospital differ from the pediatric and OB care currently provided by St. Alexius Medical Center?
- What will make our Women & Children's Hospital different?
- What specialty pediatric and OB services will be offered at the new hospital?
- Will the new hospital attract different specialists and offer more advanced technology?
- Where will the new Women & Children's Hospital be built and what is the construction and opening timeline?
- What will make the design and construction of this facility unique?
- What other projects will be undertaken at St. Alexius Medical Center?
- As the St. Alexius Medical Center campus is expanded, will you create additional parking?
- Will care be available for all children in the community, regardless of insurance coverage or the ability to pay?
- Why should I support the new Women & Children's Hospital and Alexian Brothers Hospital Network?
- How can I contribute and help children and families in our community?
Do the Alexian Brothers have a long history and reputation for caring for children?
For nearly a millennium, the Alexian Brothers have dedicated their lives to the service of God and their neighbors. The Alexian Brothers are deepening their commitment to serving our most vulnerable community members by building the new Alexian Brothers Women & Children's Hospital on the campus of St. Alexius Medical Center.
The construction of our new Women & Children's Hospital will not be the first time Alexian Brothers has recognized and delivered effective responses to the healthcare needs and demands of those we serve in our community. We have a history of investing in comprehensive pediatric services at Alexian Brothers Medical Center, St. Alexius Medical Center, Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital and Alexian Brothers Center for Mental Health.
St. Alexius Medical Center has pioneered pediatric healthcare in our service are and offers:
- In-house pediatricians 24/7
- All private pediatric rooms
- Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
- Child life specialists
- Key pediatric specialists & subspecialists
- Dedicated Pediatric Clinic
- Hard-to-find specialists for consultations
Each year, more than 48,000 children receive care throughout the Alexian Brothers system.
- 25,000 children through our inpatient and outpatient programs
- 16,000 children in our emergency rooms and immediate care centers
- 2,500 children at Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital
- More than 300 children at Alexian Brothers Center for Mental Health
- Nearly 6,000 babies are delivered into our care each year
What does the Alexian Brothers Hospital Network encompass?
The Alexian Brothers Hospital Network (ABHN) is a diversified Catholic healthcare organization headquartered in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Sponsored by the 800-year-old Congregation of Alexian Brothers, ABHN oversees the operations of acute care and specialty hospitals, senior care facilities, rehabilitation services, physician services, clinics and community-based programming.
We care for the sick, promote healing and support the advancement of new treatments and technology to provide the best medical services available for our patients and community.
Each service is in place to improve quality of life and to accomplish the Alexian Brothers mission of promoting the physical, mental, spiritual and social well-being of all individuals.
Alexian Brothers Hospital Network is a comprehensive network comprised of four hospitals and affiliated healthcare services serving the two million residents of Chicago's growing northwest suburbs. These include Alexian Brothers Medical Center, St. Alexius Medical Center, Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital and the Alexian Rehabilitation Hospital.
The new Women & Children's Hospital will be constructed on the campus of St. Alexius Medical Center, a 339-bed community hospital located in Hoffman Estates that has provided outstanding healthcare to residents for over 30 years. Our Medical Staff includes more than 1,200 physicians representing over 60 medical and surgical specialties.
How was the decision to construct a new Women & Children's Hospital reached?
Every three years, Alexian Brothers completes a Community Health Analysis to determine how effective we are in meeting the needs of those we serve. In 2010, this study included 56 of our surrounding zip codes that represent 1.8 million people.
Additional information was collected and evaluated from other sources, such as the U.S. Census Bureau, Nielsen, National Center for Health Statistics, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Illinois Department of Public Health and county health departments.
While we currently offer a broad range of pediatric specialty services throughout the Alexian Brothers Hospital Network, we discovered that our community needs better local access to a full-range of pediatric specialty services in one convenient location, and that this need will only continue to increase. It is our Mission to identify the health needs of those we serve and develop effective responses. Our vision calls for local engagement that addresses the needs of the diverse communities we serve by meeting people where they are.
A new Women & Children's Hospital on the campus of St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates will enable us to carry out the healing Mission and steadfast Vision of the Alexian Brothers and the Catholic Church by creating a medical home that provides services for some of most vulnerable members of our community.
Why is the need for pediatric and OB specialty care increasing in our community?
In recent years, some providers of pediatric and OB care in the northwest Chicago suburbs reduced or eliminated specialty services. At the same time the need for such locally provided services increased due to population growth and healthcare demands.
Between 2000 and 2006, the counties served by the Alexian Brothers Hospital Network grew at an exceptional rate. Kane County's population grew 22 percent, McHenry County's grew 20 percent and Lake County's grew 10 percent, all compared to an overall state population increase of 3 percent. Our area's already large pediatric population of 25 percent is only expected to grow. With respect to women's services, by the year 2020 the number of women over the age of 45 in the area is expected to increase by more than 40 percent.
Meanwhile, the prevalence of childhood diseases, specifically chronic diseases, is increasing. Nearly 1 in 5 youth between the ages of 6 and 19 is considered obese, and as a result may face future conditions such as diabetes, heart disease or orthopedic problems. Asthma in children in our community has risen from 11 to 15 percent.
Untreated or poorly managed or chronic diseases strain the entire healthcare system, leading to costly trips to the emergency room and longer than average hospital stays. In addition to chronic disease, studies show that 8 percent of children are diagnosed with learning disabilities and behavioral health problems.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that on average one in every 110 children in the country suffers from autism or autism spectrum disorder. The prevalence of ADHD and ADD in children is between three and seven percent, which is associated with significant psychiatric conditions such as learning disorders, depression, anxiety, personality disorders and substance abuse.
The need for more specialty care at birth is also apparent. Premature births have increased at the rate of 30 percent during the past 20 years. Due to advanced medical technology, more babies who are born prematurely survive, and some require special care. Premature babies are more prone to chronic illness and long-term disabilities such as cerebral palsy, autism or mental conditions.
Don't we have enough hospital and health services in our area?
While our surrounding area is fortunate to have access to quality healthcare options, these options don't necessarily apply to children with special needs. Children are not little adults. Their care requires more time, attention and participation from the entire family.
Children living with a chronic condition have three times the physician contact and hospital admissions and eight times the average length of hospital stay. This is an enormous strain on families already dealing with the emotional stress of caring for a sick child. These parents balance taking time off work while attempting to pay mounting medical and travel bills. They struggle to find baby-sitters and drive hours to see specialists. Some don't have access to transportation at all. They have to wait weeks to schedule an appointment with the right physician and even longer to reach a diagnosis and start treatment.
Nationwide, the pediatric subspecialty workforce suffers from major shortages. Access to critical specialty care is limited, especially for patients on Medicaid or who are uninsured. The national average wait time to see a specialist in neurology is nine weeks. Many families wait 10 weeks to see an endocrinologist and 13 weeks or longer to see a developmentalpediatrician; both of these services are currently available at St. Alexius Medical Center.
The new Women & Children's Hospital will be a regional center, offering greater accessibility to key pediatric and OB specialists and sub-specialists to help meet pediatric patients' needs at St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates, eliminating the need for families to leave the northwest suburbs for care.
How will the services offered in the new Women & Children's Hospital differ from the pediatric and OB care currently provided by St. Alexius Medical Center?
Alexian Brothers already has an established reputation as a major provider for advanced children's health. The Alexian Brothers Pediatrics Institute is a center of excellence, providing a high standard of pediatric healthcare.
St. Alexius Medical Center's Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) is ready and equipped to provide critical care. Emergikids, our children's emergency care department, features special medical equipment in an environment designed specifically for children.
Many of the services we plan to offer at the new Women & Children's Hospital are currently provided within our healthcare system. What the new facility will do is enable us to unite these services and offer our patients everything under one roof. This approach will result in convenience and better-coordinated care for our patients and families, and added efficiency and opportunity for collaboration with our physicians.
What will make our Women & Children's Hospital different?
Our goal is to create a state-of-the-art, kid-friendly environment where we can deliver multi-disciplinary, collaborative care.
We believe in a faith-based, holistic, family-centered approach to healing. Our care providers strive to share complete, detailed information and educate patients and families. Everyone involved with the patient is guided and encouraged to participate.
The Women & Children's Hospital will offer flexible visiting hours, convenient meal options, private spaces and a comfortable environment for our families. Chaplains will be available around the clock to provide support to patients of all faiths and denominations, to comfort families in times of crisis and give thanks in times of joy.
Pediatric child life specialists who are passionate about working with children will be available to help reduce anxiety and promote healing for our young patients and their siblings. These techniques can include therapeutic and diversional play as well as age-appropriate education, activities and explanations to minimize stress. Additionally, our staff can assist with school re-entry and arranging hospital and homebound tutoring.
What specialty pediatric and OB services will be offered at the new hospital?
The Center for Pediatric Brain will provide a regional destination for patients who require complex care from expert pediatric neurologists or pediatric neurosurgery services. In partnership with Rush University Medical Center, recognized experts in the treatment of epilepsy, we will open the area's most advanced epilepsy monitoring unit.
Pediatric Outpatient Clinics will provide integrated, full-continuum care for children with chronic diseases, autism and other developmental or behavioral disorders. These can include apraxia, autism, Down syndrome, learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, asthma, oncology, cerebral palsy and other conditions. Our clinical navigator will be here to guide families through the entire process by creating a personalized blueprint of care for each child.
In 2013, inpatient pediatric services will move from St. Alexius Medical Center to the new Women & Children's Hospital, including a 17-bed Pediatric Unit and 8-bed Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). Four swing rooms will have the capacity to convert to pediatric or PICU rooms as needed. At this time, space will be renovated to provide private post-partum beds for all Mother/Baby patients. By 2016, all OB services will be transitioned and located in the new building.
We will continue to care for our smallest patients in our 8-bed Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at St. Alexius, where we provide advanced life-saving care for fragile babies as young as 24 weeks and as small as one pound. Nurses, physicians, lactation consultants, child life specialists and discharge planners trained to work with premature or sick babies will care for the entire family. A NICU Follow-Up Clinic will continue to monitor the growth and development of babies who have graduated from our NICU, conveniently close to home.
Our Maternal Fetal Medicine Program at the hospital will support expecting women who have high-risk or more complicated pregnancies. This may include advanced prenatal care, management of a condition, comprehensive monitoring or treatment during the pregnancy. Genetic Counseling services are available for those who wish to learn the risk of an inherited disorder.
Will the new hospital attract different specialists and offer more advanced technology?
Neonatologists, pediatric hospitalists, critical care physicians, hard to find specialists and specially trained nurses currently provide care at the St. Alexius Medical Center. The new facility will enable us to recruit and retain additional highly trained specialists, subspecialists and nursing staff.
Centralizing our specialty OB and pediatric services at one location gives our physicians greater opportunity to collaborate with other specialists and coordinate with ancillary services such as imaging, laboratory or therapy. Improving convenience and ease of care for our physicians enables them to spend more time with our patients developing tailored treatment programs.
Our growth is fostered by strategic partnerships and relationships with local academic medical centers. Moving forward, Alexian Brothers will continue to build on our Neonatology program with Loyola University Medical Center and our Epilepsy Monitoring Unit with Rush University.
Where will the new Women & Children's Hospital be built and what is the construction and opening timeline?
The new Women & Children's Hospital will be constructed on the St. Alexius Medical Center campus in Hoffman Estates. The new building will connect with the existing facility to provide added convenience for patients, families and physicians. Groundbreaking is scheduled for Spring 2011 and doors are expected to open in early 2013.
The general contractor chosen for this project, Power Construction Company, is based in Schaumburg, Illinois. At the peak of our project we will have more than 200 construction persons on site, in addition to workers from trades, other contractors and support staff.
More units and services will be added or moved from St. Alexius Medical Center to the new facility beginning in 2013. The addition of the new Women & Children's Hospital is part of a five-year construction plan that will allow for the expansion and growth of the current St. Alexius Medical Center, including a greatly expanded parking area for patients, visitors, physicians and employees. Once the new building is complete and services transition to the new Women & Children's Hospital, semi-private rooms at St. Alexius Medical Center will be converted to private rooms. Private rooms not only increase confidentiality, but also increase patient safety by reducing the risk of infection.
Throughout the construction process, you are invited to follow our progress by means of updated information, renderings, photos and a live Web cam of the site at www.MyAlexianKids.net/Webcam.
What will make the design and construction of this facility unique?
The current design planned for the new Women & Children's Hospital is the result of a collaborative effort on the part of our Alexian Brothers Hospital Network team. We believed those expert staff members who will be providing the care in the new hospital should help during the planning stages.
More than 60 staff members, including physicians, nurses, therapists and ancillary staff, met over the course of six months to help design our new hospital. During the next year, mock-up rooms for key areas will be constructed and staff will be invited to simulate procedures and protocols and give approval before the rooms are completely built out.
With the use of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) principles, we are also striving to build a “green” hospital. Our new high efficiency central plant will save energy and be more cost-effective and we will strive to purchase environmentally friendly materials and products throughout the construction process.
What other projects will be undertaken at St. Alexius Medical Center?
During this phase of construction, we also will enhance services for all St. Alexius Medical Center patients, family members and physicians by expanding our day surgery and post-anesthesia care areas, adding two operating rooms as well as a 16-bed express admission unit for the emergency department.
As the St. Alexius Medical Center campus is expanded, will you create additional parking?
We have begun to provide additional parking on the medical center campus. Recently, a parking lot was opened north of the ring road. This addition, along with our complimentary, no-tipping and fully insured valet parking, has helped to reduce the congestion. In October 2010, construction began on an expansion of the west parking garage. This project is on schedule to be completed by the end of this year and more than doubles the current capacity. In January, we begin construction of a new three-level parking garage on the east side of the campus.
Will care be available for all children in the community, regardless of insurance coverage or the ability to pay?
Infants, children and young adults are our most vulnerable community members. They represent the largest segment of our population who live in poverty. Almost 38 percent rely on publicly financed health insurance or are uninsured. They can't vote on healthcare reform, make decisions about their care or even drive themselves to the emergency room.
Alexian Brothers Hospital Network carries out the healing mission of the Catholic Church throughout our hospitals by responding to the health needs of those we are called to serve. Our healthcare system abides by the values of compassion, dignity of the person, care of the poor, holism and partnership. We manifest God's presence by a concerned approach and respect for all we serve. We serve all socio-economic levels and provide holistic healing for the physical, psychosocial and spiritual needs of each person. It is in our Vision statement to care for those at the margins, especially the poor, the dying and those who are overlooked by society.
Why should I support the new Women & Children's Hospital and Alexian Brothers Hospital Network?
Improving the quality of and access to healthcare locally is a win for the entire community. By supporting the new hospital and improved specialty services, you are supporting healthy children in our community and helping local families. This may include kids who attend school with your children, promising young adults with bright futures or families who perhaps live just down the street. We intend for families with children who need special medical attention to receive the advanced, comprehensive care they need locally.
How can I contribute and help children and families in our community?
As a not-for-profit entity, the Alexian Brothers Hospital Network relies on your support of our centuries-old healthcare ministry through charitable giving. Philanthropic dollars raised for the new hospital will be used to fund clinical excellence and mission-critical services, such as Child Life Specialists, Clinical Navigators to coordinate complex care and recruitment of key specialists. Our goal is to raise $20 million for the new facility through various fundraising efforts and with generous support from our local community and donors.
You may make a tax-deductible gift in several different ways:
By Check Please make your check payable to Alexian Brothers Foundation and mail it to: Alexian Brothers Foundation, 3040 Salt Creek Lane, Arlington Heights, IL 60005.
By Credit Card We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express. Call the Foundation at 847-385-7306 with your information.
Give Online You can make an online donation by credit card using our secure service provider. Visit us at www.AlexianFoundation.org and follow the prompts.
In addition to the traditional methods of giving, perhaps one of the following options is more preferable.
Planned Gifts It is sometimes more advantageous to consider the option of long-term planned giving to meet estate, financial and tax-planning needs. There are many options available to help you fulfill your philanthropic wishes and financial goals including bequests, charitable remainder trusts and gift annuities.
Assets Donations of assets including bonds, stocks and property can not only provide you with a charitable deduction but it may also offer additional tax savings.
Tribute & Memorial Gifts Celebrate a significant occasion, remember a loved one, commemorate a milestone or thank a staff person with a gift made in their honor.
Matching Gifts Corporations will often match gifts made by employees, officers, directors, and in some cases spouses and/or retired employees, officers, or directors.
For more information about contributing to the new Alexian Brothers Women & Children's Hospital contact the Foundation at 847-385-7300 or go to www.AlexianFoundation.org.
As we continue on our journey to create a healthy kid community, follow the progress of the new Alexian Brothers Women & Children's Hospital at www.MyAlexianKids.net.
St. Alexius Medical Center
1555 Barrington Road
Hoffman Estates, IL 60169
847-843-2000
www.AlexianBrothersHealth.org
Women, children and families in the northwest suburbs may face a significant health risk in the near future: limited local access to comprehensive and specialized pediatrics and women's health services.
Alexian Brothers has an established reputation for providing advanced pediatric and OB services to the surrounding community.
The new Women & Children's Hospital at St. Alexius Medical Center will allow us to create local access to the full range of specialty care for our pediatric patients, their parents, siblings and support network. The need for these services in our area is increasing due to population growth and health care demands.
The prevalence of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, among children continues to increase.
Children with chronic disease have three times the physician contacts and hospital admissions and eight times the average length of hospital stay.
Premature births have increased at the rate of 30 percent over the past 20 years.
Twenty percent of U.S. households with children have at least one child with special health care needs.
Low-weight births in the area have increased from 6.5 percent to 7.3 percent of live births.
The pediatric population in the area is large, representing 25 percent of the population, and is expected to continue to grow.
As a not-for-profit organization, Alexian Brothers reinvests not only in our hospital and health services, but also in organizations and programs that work to improve our community. It is one of our core values to develop partnerships and collaborate with those who share our ministry in carrying out our Mission. Some of the organizations we support include:
- Access Community Health Network
- Alexian Brothers AIDS Ministry
- Alfred Campanelli YMCA
- Bonaventure House
- ANAD
- Aunt Martha's Youth Service Center
- Barrington Area Community Foundation
- Buehler YMCA
- Catholic Charities
- CEDA
- Children's Advocacy Center
- Clearbrook
- Elk Grove Rotary Club
- Fellowship Housing Corporation
- Friends of Hoffman Estates Parks
- Friendship Village
- Gift of Adoption
- Gigi's Playhouse
- Harper College
- Kenneth Young Center
- Metropolitan Family Services
- National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI)
- Northwest CASA
- Rainbows
- Roosevelt University
- Rotary Club Hoffman/Schaumburg
- Schaumburg Park Foundation
- Shelter, Inc.
- Stroke Survivors Empowering Each Other (SSEEO)
- The Bridge Youth and Family Services
- WINGS
For more than seven hundred years, the Alexian Brothers have cared for the sick, the aged, the poor and the dying. The basic Judeo-Christian beliefs that inspired the founders of this Catholic religious congregation sustain its ministry today. This heritage is espoused by the governance, management and entire health care team throughout Alexian Brothers Health System in their mutual commitment to promote the physical, mental, spiritual and social well-being of all individuals served through the health care ministry.
Alexian Brothers Hospital Network carries out the healing mission of the Catholic Church through the Alexian Brothers ministries by identifying and developing effective responses to the health and housing needs of those we are called to serve.
