Elmhurst Hospital plans $100M project focused on cancer center, observation beds, more ORs

Endeavor Health has proposed a $100.8 million project to expand Elmhurst Hospital’s cancer center, add more surgical space and create a dedicated observation unit for patients requiring short-term monitoring.

The plan involves a two-story expansion of the cancer center building and renovation of hospital spaces. The observation unit would contain 16 beds. The hospital also would add three new operating rooms with support facilities, plus four more labor and delivery rooms, according to an Endeavor Health spokesman.

The proposed project comes about three years after regulators approved the merger of Edward-Elmhurst Health and NorthShore University HealthSystem, resulting in the third-largest health system in the state.

“We are excited to announce a transformative expansion project that will enhance essential services and significantly improve access to care for our growing community,” Endeavor spokesman Spencer Walrath said in a statement. “This project represents a major investment in the future of health care at Endeavor Health Elmhurst Hospital, allowing us to better meet the needs of our patients with state-of-the-art facilities and expanded capacity.”

An Endeavor Health leader was unavailable for interviews Friday.

Endeavor outlined the plan in a permit application to the Illinois Health Facilities & Services Review Board, saying that an aging population will be the primary beneficiary of the proposed project.

The cancer center expansion would include the addition of 14 exam rooms. One floor would accommodate relocated endoscopy procedural rooms and associated support spaces.

“As cancer incidence rates continue to rise, along with an increasing prevalence of co-morbidities amongst the patient population, the need for expanded services has become critical,” the application notes.

Elmhurst currently performs more than 10,000 endoscopy procedures annually across two locations. Colocating the existing endoscopy units to a single, centralized location on the Elmhurst campus would improve workflow and reduce wait times.

Endeavor cited significant growth in the hospital’s medical/surgical units, with inpatient days increasing by 33.6% from 2018 to 2023. High “census levels” have led to patients being held in the emergency department longer than necessary due to a lack of available inpatient beds, “which is both costly and inefficient,” according to the application.

The observation unit is designed to accommodate short-stay patients.

“By shifting observation patients from inpatient beds to the new unit, the hospital can increase efficiency and meet growing demand for observation services,” the application states.

he goal is to complete the project — consisting of 33,450 square feet of new space and 40,950 square feet of renovated space — by the end of September 2028.

Endeavor also encompasses Edward Hospital in Naperville, Evanston Hospital, Glenbrook Hospital in Glenview, Highland Park Hospital, Linden Oaks Hospital in Naperville, Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, Skokie Hospital and Swedish Hospital in Chicago.

https://www.dailyherald.com/20250103/news/elmhurst-hospital-plans-100m-project-focused-on-cancer-center-observation-beds-more-ors/