![After Tinley Park and Rockford closed their mental health facilities, Grundy County Health Department created a crisis stabilization program. According to Hudson people would be screened in the hospital for eligibility and determination.
“More short-term psychiatric beds are needed. If someone is suicidal, they have to find someone who will take them. Beds are very scarce in this area,” Hudson said.
Currently Presence Saint Joseph's Hospital has 31 inpatient psychiatric beds, Silver Cross Hospital, pictured above, only has 20 and Morris Hospital doesn’t have any.
To help alleviate this need, Silver Cross Hospital and US HealthVest are planning to build a 100-bed psychiatric hospital in New Lenox.
Most veterans have to travel more than an hour away to get any sort of VA care, which causes issues with travel. Tyler went to the Milwaukee VA and St. Joseph’s in Joliet a couple times for treatment.
“At three for four days, that wasn’t much to offer someone who felt suicidal. I felt better when I left [St. Joseph’s]," Tyler said. "I didn’t realize it at the time but I felt better because I was amongst other people who were struggling like myself. The camaraderie of people with other people who were struggling gave me hope."](https://www.shawlocal.com/resizer/NYjVZBho3NN38s60lCpBwGm4KA8=/800x0/filters:format(jpg):quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/GPXLANOD7K6KM6476YIUMX2PWA.jpg)
Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox has opened a new outpatient clinic for patients with congestive heart failure.
The new Advanced Heart Failure Clinic at Silver Cross offers individual appointments several times each week, according to a news release from Silver Cross Hospital.
This clinic provides “consultation with heart failure specialists, individualized treatment plans and visits with advanced practice nurses for symptom monitoring, medication management and education” and to provide patients with the “latest technology and approaches to heart care,” Silver Cross said.
The goal is for patients with advanced heart failure to visit the clinic seven to 14 days after their release from the hospital to help prevent readmission, Silver Cross said.
Jennifer White, manager of cardiovascular services at Silver Cross, said in the news release that she will review case histories of Silver Cross patients to determine good candidates for the clinic and then talk to their doctors about a referral.
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“The main focus is educating patients, optimizing life-prolonging treatments and partnering with their physicians to help patients live longer, better lives,” White said in the release. “For some, who may have more advanced disease, we can help to determine if they would benefit from a cardiac transplant or cardiac-assist device.”
— “The main focus is educating patients, optimizing life-prolonging treatments and partnering with their physicians to help patients live longer, better lives." Jennifer White manager of cardiovascular services at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox
In addition to White, members of the Advanced Heart Failure Clinic team at Silver Cross include Dr. Gregory Macaluso, Dr. Jessica Pillarella, Dr. Vinh Chau, Dr. Mark Dela Cruz, Silver Cross said.
For more information about the Silver Cross Advanced Heart Failure Clinic, call 815-300-3811.
AT A GLANCE
The new Advanced Heart Failure Clinic at Silver Cross offers
* Consultation with specialists
* Individualized treatment plans
* Symptom monitoring
* Medication management
* Access to latest treatments and technology