For Immediate Release March 31, 2010

Contact: Brian Reardon (217) 544-6464, ext. 44306 brian.reardon@st-johns.org

ST. JOHN’S HOSPITAL UNVEILS CAMPUS TRANSFORMATION PLANS

SPRINGFIELD – St. John’s Hospital today announced it has submitted a Certificate of Need (CON) application to the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board for approval to modernize a portion of its Surgery Department. A second CON is scheduled to be submitted in April to seek approval for the renovation of four patient floors. If the projects are approved by the Board, the surgery and patient tower projects are projected to cost a total of $162 million. The surgery project would be completed in 2013, with the patient tower completed in 2014.

“Over the past three years we have carefully evaluated how to Transform our hospital facilities to best meet the needs of our patients,” said Bob Ritz, President and CEO, St. John’s Hospital. “The proposed surgery and patient tower projects are part of our comprehensive Master Facility Plan designed to modernize our campus, enabling us to offer patients and their loved ones an enhanced healing environment while delivering health care services in the most efficient manner.”

If approved, the new Surgery Department will replace the portion of St. John’s existing inpatient Surgery Department that was constructed in the 1970s. Plans call for creating new space that will link St. John’s Pavilion to the hospital’s patient tower and Prairie Heart Institute. Just as Prairie Heart Institute spans 7th Street, the new Surgery Department will span Mason Street, allowing vehicular traffic to flow under the building. The new surgery space will include 16 new surgical suites.

“The new operating rooms will give surgeons and clinicians immediate access to the latest state-of-the art surgery technology, allowing a team member to reach into the ceiling or in a wall to access monitors, lighting and high-tech devices used during a procedure,” said Dave Olejniczak, Chief Operating Officer, St. John’s Hospital.

The new Surgery Department will create a seamless floor plan that puts all surgery services, including Cardiac, Pediatric and Main Surgery into one contiguous space. Patients coming to St. John’s will enter the Surgery Department through the Pavilion, where they will register for all surgical procedures. Patients and their families will have an adjacent waiting area with immediate access to their loved ones. Before surgery, patients will undergo tests and pre-anesthesia in a modern preparation area and then after the procedure recover in dedicated private space. Pediatric patients will have their own pre-operative and recovery areas as well.

To make room for the new Surgery Department, St. John’s will demolish portions of existing structures adjacent to the Pavilion and patient tower that were constructed in the first half of the 20th century. If approved, the project will cover 171,866 gross square feet of new and remodeled space and include a satellite pharmacy, Central Sterilization, offices, conference rooms and space for future expansion.
With the patient tower project, St. John’s will propose to modernize four floors within the 13 story patient tower. As each floor is completely remodeled, it will allow for the creation of nursing units that will consist of private patient rooms.

“Our overall goal is to convert all inpatient rooms to private rooms,” said Olejniczak. “This will benefit patients, their families and care providers. It will offer families more privacy and access to their loved ones. It will also reduce the possibility of hospital-acquired infections and create a quieter environment.”

The renovated floors in the patient tower will share some of the design features found on St. John’s eleventh floor, which was renovated in 2006. Each private room on the eleventh floor has modern amenities. The Hospice and Transitional Care Units on the eleventh floor feature up to date nurses’ stations and large hospitality rooms where families can relax.

As each of the four patient floors are remodeled, the plan is to develop nursing units that focus on specific patient conditions. Orthopedic, oncology and neurology patients, for example, will receive care in specialty units with nurses and clinical staff focused on their treatment protocols.

The changes planned for the Surgery Department and patient tower will also create a more efficient footprint for the campus. Once both projects are completed, a U-shaped drive in front of the hospital’s south side off Madison Street will allow patients and visitors to drive in and drop off or valet park, allowing for easy access to a variety of services, including outpatient and inpatient surgery.

“These two projects are representative of the Journey to Excellence that is already underway to Transform St. John’s for the future,” said J. Michael Houston, chairman of St. John’s Board of Directors. “Now that historic health care reform has been enacted, St. John’s is embracing the opportunity to provide an even higher level of health care in the most cost effective manner possible. These construction projects and the overall Master Facility Plan will help position St. John’s for the challenges ahead while ensuring that every patient receives the very best care and service.”
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You can view the animated “fly-through” of how the proposed project will transform the south side of our campus at:  http://www.youtube.com/saintjohnshospital#p/u/6/IpcEpRGGiJg