State approves St. Elizabeth’s application for new hospital
From Illinois Business Journal news services
BOLINGBROOK – HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital today received approval from the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board to build a replacement hospital and ambulatory care center along Interstate 64 and Green Mount Road in St. Clair County.
The decision was a unanimous vote of 8-0.
The action was culmination of months’ worth of hearings and opposition from Belleville Memorial Hospital and others to the plan. In January, the same board issued an intent to deny the request after the hospital received fewer than the five required affirmative votes. Because only five HFSRB members had attended the meeting, the hospital was granted a second opportunity.
St. Elizabeth’s was required to obtain a Certificate of Need to replace its current hospital in downtown Belleville, which was built in the 1950s, with a modern hospital that will be built on a 114-acre campus with an adjoining ambulatory care center.
“We are thrilled that we can move forward with our plans to build a state-of-the art hospital for the region and an ambulatory care center that anticipates the continued trend toward outpatient care. The new medical campus will enhance our ability to develop an integrated care delivery model that will serve residents from across Southwestern Illinois,” said Maryann Reese, president and CEO of HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital. “We also look forward to re-purposing our current campus to continue providing health care services in downtown Belleville.”
St. Elizabeth’s replacement hospital will include 144 private patient rooms, an emergency department, state-of-the-art operating rooms, an advanced intensive care unit, and inpatient rehabilitation. St. Elizabeth’s plans to offer a wide array of inpatient and outpatient services at the new facility, including cancer care, modern birthing suites, telehealth consultations featuring accredited stroke care, and award-winning heart care.
“I want to thank our patients, board, physicians, staff and Metro East leaders and residents who supported our vision for the future of health care in the region,” Reese said. “We couldn’t have done this without them.”
Construction on the $300 million project will begin in the weeks ahead and is expected to be completed within 26 to 30 months.
For more information on the project, visit www.supportsteliz.org.
