Press Releases
March 07, 2007
Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital ’s plan for Grayslake freestanding emergency center advances
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Legislation clears committee hurdle; garners bipartisan support
Lake Forest, Ill. – An Illinois Senate committee today approved a plan that would allow Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital to bring much-needed emergency medical services to the north and western portions of Lake County.
The legislation, introduced by state Sen. Susan Garrett (D-Lake Forest), would allow Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital to expand its acute care center to a freestanding emergency center at the Grayslake campus.
“Critically injured patients will spend less time in an ambulance if an emergency room is closer to their doorstep,” said Thomas J. McAfee, president and chief executive officer of Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital, who traveled to Springfield to support the bill. “I’m glad to see such broad support for our plan in Springfield and back home.”
Once approved by the General Assembly and a state planning board, the Grayslake freestanding emergency center could be operational by the end of 2007.
The current site has been home to the Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital Outpatient & Acute Care Center, located at 1475 E. Belvidere Road, for three years. The center is open 16.5 hours a day and treats more than 21,000 patients each year, and is staffed by Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital’s board-certified emergency physicians and trauma-trained registered nurses.
The facility would operate 24 hours a day under the new plan, with enhanced emergency capabilities, including ambulance bays and a helipad.
The bill now moves to the full Senate for consideration.
About Northwestern Memorial HealthCare
Northwestern Memorial HealthCare is the parent corporation of Chicago’s Northwestern Memorial Hospital, an 854-bed academic medical center hospital and Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital, a 205-bed community hospital located in Lake Forest, Illinois.
About Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital
Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital is a wholly owned entity of Northwestern Memorial HealthCare. The hospital has 600 physicians board-certified in 68 medical specialties, conveniently located in offices throughout Lake County. Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital has been named the Consumer Choice Hospital for Lake and Kenosha counties according to a survey by National Research Corporation for five years in a row for having the best doctors, best nurses, best image and reputation, and best overall quality.
The hospital’s mission is to provide communities the highest quality health care through exceptional access to state-of-the-art clinical services with compassionate and personal care. Clinical services are delivered at the hospital’s Lake Forest and Grayslake campuses, and at facilities in Bannockburn, Glenview, Gurnee-Brookside, Gurnee-Tower Court, Libertyville, Lindenhurst and Vernon Hills. At the main hospital in Lake Forest, exemplary care is provided in Cain Family Emergency Services, the Hunter Family Center for Women’s Health, the Posy Krehbiel Breast Care Center, the Waud Family Maternity Services and the Center for Advanced Radiation Medicine. CareCoach, Lake County’s only mobile health program, provides care for the underserved at 25 locations throughout the region. For more information, visit lfh.org.