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Groundbreaking Ceremony Kicks off Medical Center Expansion Project

Loyola University Health System (LUHS) launched a medical center expansion project in December 2005 with a groundbreaking ceremony. The $103 million project will create 176,000 square feet of new space and renovate 60,000 square feet of existing space on the medical center campus in Maywood, Ill. Completion of the project is expected by late 2009.

“This is a wonderfully conceived project that has been years in the concept and planning phases,” said Anthony L. Barbato, MD, president and CEO, LUHS. “It represents a major investment in the future of medical care at Loyola.”

The most visible and dramatic element of the project will be a new, two-story hospital entrance that is flooded with natural light and includes a fountain to provide soothing sounds of flowing water. The plan includes other features designed with patient comfort in mind such as separate elevators and corridors for patients and the public.

The expansion project is driven by a growing demand for LUHS’ services, particularly for surgical and interventional procedures. Twelve new operating rooms will be added while three existing ones will be removed to bring the new total to 27.

The expansion will create two new medical/surgical units of 32 private rooms each and convert some existing hospital rooms from double to single occupancy, bringing total licensed beds at the hospital to 568. The hospital also will gain an inpatient MRI unit.

The other major driving force for the project is to provide an expanded and updated home for LUHS’ heart and vascular program. The Center for Heart & Vascular Medicine was created in 2004 to provide an integrated, multi-disciplinary approach to caring for inpatients and outpatients with vascular and cardiac disorders. Multiple specialists collaborate in close proximity to provide the full spectrum of care from prevention and diagnosis to treatment and follow up care.

The program will get a new reception area and new areas for non-invasive cardiac and peripheral vascular diagnostics. The expansion will add capacity for cardiac catheterization and electrophysiology procedures as well as creating a new, 24-bed area of all private rooms to provide a comfortable space for families to consult with physicians.

“This project represents a major new chapter for the medical center. The end result will have staying power to serve the needs of our patients for the long term,” said Dr. Barbato.