Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital nearing completion of $6.2 million upgrade

An improvement project costing $6.2 million is nearing completion at Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital, with patients set to received care in modernized and more private units.

The new medical-surgical units feature private rooms, with additional windows to bring in natural light, as well as dimmable LED lighting and bathrooms more geared toward providing comfort and safety to patients, according to a Northwestern news release.

“Patients and families will immediately notice how we’ve changed the space to enhance our healing environment,” Nick Rave, president of Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital, said in the release. “The improvements go beyond what you can immediately see. We also upgraded systems and technologies to support innovative treatments and leading-edge care.”

The Northwestern hospital system continued work on the project through the COVID-19 pandemic.

“What began as a project to modernize our hospital units took on new meaning with the pandemic,” Rave said in the release. “We pushed ahead with the project despite COVID-19 to provide patients a safer environment where we can do even more to prevent the spread of infection.”

Hospital leaders also plan to update the McHenry facility’s surgery department to further enhance the patient experience.

City officials from both McHenry and Crystal Lake toured the new units Thursday afternoon.

“The continued investment of Northwestern Hospital McHenry demonstrates their commitment to providing the most advanced services to the residents of McHenry, McHenry County and region. I am proud of the city’s partnership with Northwestern McHenry Hospital and grateful for the role that they play as a leader in the community,” Mayor Wayne Jett said Thursday.

Physicians and hospital staff members also have seen a glimpse of the now completed project and even tried virtual work in the new units. Their design recently was toured in simulations by hospital workers to prepare for move-in days, set for later this month.

In simulations, hospital walkers walked through patient care situations to familiarize themselves with the new unit layouts and technologies, according to the release.