NorthShore University HealthSystem wants to scale back a $157 million renovation because the facility admits fewer patients and shifts to more outpatient care, according to an article on Crain's Chicago Business.
The new plan would reduce the number of medical-surgery beds and renovate more of the existing hospital. The proposed changes are estimated to cut the project's price tag by about $30 million, to around $127 million, the article said.
The changes are “in response to recent and anticipated adjustments to the manner in which hospital services are and will be provided,” the hospital network said in its recent application to the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board, which must approve the changes.
New compensation structures have led to more outpatient care rather than costly overnight stays. The number of days patients spend in hospitals also has declined, prompting facilities to shift resources to outpatient treatment, the article said.