Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago has begun planning a new pediatric hospital in Downers Grove, Ill.
The proposed low-acuity facility would be Lurie Children’s first inpatient hospital outside its main location in Chicago, according to a Jan. 28 health system news release. Plans include a pediatric emergency department, inpatient beds, surgery suites and subspecialty services in oncology, cardiology, gastroenterology and orthopedics.
A hospital spokesperson told Becker’s the hospital will be its largest institutional investment since relocating its main hospital to the Chicago neighborhood of Streeterville.
The hospital would fill a care access gap in Chicago’s western suburbs, where nearly half of children leave their community for inpatient pediatric care, President and CEO Tom Shanley, MD, told Becker’s. He said the emergency department is one of the most important aspects of the proposed facility, as the area lacks a dedicated pediatric ER.
The expansion also responds to a broader trend of pediatric unit closures nationwide.
“As we were developing this plan, we were also very attuned to what many people are observing — not just in our market, but across the country — that it’s very challenging to do what we do at Lurie Children’s Hospital and at many of our nationally leading peers in terms of providing a number of pediatric subspecialists, and comprehensive allied health professional teams, and focus exclusively on kids,” Dr. Shanley said.
He added that some systems have been unable to sustain pediatric care due to low volumes, workforce challenges and financial pressures — including those tied to Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements. As a result, many hospitals are making strategic decisions to reduce or eliminate pediatric services.
In addition to bringing care closer to home for patients, Lurie Children’s aims to be a key partner in the community.
“It’s not just about caring for the individual patient, it’s caring about the population of kids and addressing the population health needs,” Dr. Shanley said. “Being embraced by the community and partnering with them to address all of those and begin to elevate the well-being of kids in that community is another important component of success for us.”
The Downers Grove hospital is part of a broader growth strategy by Lurie Children’s, which operates more than 20 outpatient centers and 10 partner hospitals across the region.
A design-build team led by Clayco has been engaged to support planning, which remains in early stages and subject to regulatory approvals.
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