By Healthcare Facilities Today

St. Anthony Hospital on the southwest side of Chicago is designing a new campus that may serve as a model for poor urban areas in other cities. Since the patient census consists mostly of Medicare and Medicaid patients, hospital president and CEO Guy A. Medaglia realized that the new facility would need other revenue streams to be self-sustaining. 

The resulting vision, as detailed in an article in the May-June issue of Healthcare Design, is for a million-square-foot facility that will also include commercial and retail tenants, as well as community wellness features such as a school and a fitness center. 

According to the article, the City of Chicago donated the 11-acre lot about a mile and a half from the hospital’s current location, which is outdated and not a good candidate for renovation. A research study came up with a plan that took a broad view of healthcare, including wellness, education, safety and healthy food – a plan that might inspire similar visions elsewhere. 

Since specifications called for half the site to be green space, the remainder will be vertically oriented, with pedestrian bridges connecting buildings that reflect the architectural traditions of the city and the neighborhood, the article says. 

The design envisions mostly retail space on the ground floor, with the exception of the emergency room, and community and education space on the next floors, topped by the medical areas. The 150 inpatient beds will be in their own tower, easily accessed from the medical area but separate from it, according to the article. 

The entire facility is also designed for flexibility, as medical needs shift more to outpatient treatment over the course of the next century. Full design work will start soon, with an opening anticipated in 2017.  

Read the article.