Investing in people's lives and growing local medical care

Franciscan Health takes a regional approach to health care that optimizes facilities and resources to improve the level of care throughout northwest Indiana and the south suburbs of Chicago. This approach is supported by investments in new hospitals, clinics and innovative technology to enhance health care options with compassionate care close to home.

In January of this year, Franciscan Health Crown Point opened in a new location along Interstate 65 and Route 231. The new, modern Franciscan Health Crown Point Hospital has 199 inpatient beds, expandable to 300 beds, and an attached medical office building. Expandable diagnostic and treatment center. It features a hybrid operating room with the latest technology to care for cardiac patients, a neonatal intensive care unit with private rooms, a pediatric floor, and the latest technology to enhance patient safety and convenience.

The new Franciscan Health Crown Point will be joined by the Dean and Barbara White Cancer Center when it opens on the new hospital site in 2026. The 71,000 square foot, three-story, state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment center consolidates existing cancer treatment services in one convenient location. The new cancer center is made possible by his $30 million gift from the Dean and Barbara White Family Foundation to the Francisco Medical Foundation in fall 2023. This donation represents the largest monetary donation the organization has ever received.

Also in January, Franciscan Health Michigan City announced plans to fully acquire Franciscan Beacon Hospital in LaPorte, effective March 1. Franciscan Alliance and Beacon Health System signed a 50/50 joint partnership agreement in 2018 to establish Franciscan Beacon Hospital at 1010. State Route 2 in LaPorte. This included a building expansion project. The unique, state-of-the-art 92,500-square-foot facility includes a 24-hour, 10-bed emergency department, eight inpatient beds for overnight care, laboratory services, a resident pharmacist, physical therapy, and telehealth connectivity. We also have the latest diagnostic imaging equipment.

As part of the acquisition, all Beacon Health System nurses, imaging staff and patient access employees currently employed at the hospital (approximately 33 people) will become employees of Francisco Alliance. The hospital acquisition follows Franciscan Health Michigan City's acquisition in summer 2023 of Franciscan Surgery Center LaPorte, located just southeast of Franciscan Beacon Hospital.

News of the hospital acquisition comes shortly after Franciscan Health Michigan City celebrated its fifth anniversary in a new, modern location at the northwest corner of Interstate 94 and Route 421.

Francisco Health Olympia Fields is embarking on a project in Homewood that will expand its adult rehabilitation services while adding pediatric rehabilitation services and specialty physicians at the Illinois Primary Care Office. The Cherry Creek Shopping Center project will add 8,000 square feet for an adult rehabilitation center, 4,000 square feet for pediatric rehabilitation services and another 8,000 square feet for a primary care physician clinic. The project is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Franciscan Health Olympia Fields celebrated the opening of Illinois Specialty Physicians, LLC Family Medicine and Walk-in Clinic in January 2023 at the former Franciscan Health Chicago Heights Hospital site in Chicago Heights. The stand-alone 10,200-square-foot facility features 12 exam rooms, triage rooms, treatment rooms, lab space, and an imaging/X-ray unit. We are open 365 days a year.

Across state lines, Franciscan Health Muenster is embarking on a project that includes reconfiguring its structure to meet new height regulations from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. This reconfiguration includes the addition of a three-story addition to the existing three-story medical facility, the construction of a new five-story medical facility, the addition of a new facility plant, the relocation of a helipad, and the development of a new parking garage. will be done. We will also carry out expansion work on the existing parking lot.

Franciscan Health Dyer is also undergoing a $5 million renovation to update aging infrastructure at its hospital campus on the Illinois border.

The economic development impact of these projects extends far beyond the medical facility campus. Heather Ennis, president and CEO of the Northwest Indiana Forum, celebrated the medical facility's breakthrough earlier this year when Franciscan Health Michigan City celebrated its fifth anniversary in its new location on Interstate 94. He talked about the economic effects.

“The downstream returns on hospital investments are incredible,” Ennis said. “As economic developers, we don't see a single investment as just a simple investment. We see it as a long-term impact.”

Ennis cited the example of development that has begun to appear at the intersection of Interstate 94 and Route 421 as a direct result of Franciscan Health Michigan City opening here.

As we celebrate our growth and successes, it's important to focus on why we do what we do. It reminds us of simple rhymes with gestures that we learned in Sunday school as children. “This is the church, this is the spire.” Open the door and see all the people.

The people who inspire us every day are the people in our healthcare facilities and in our programs: our colleagues, patients, program participants, and their families. All our investments are made to provide better service.

Prenatal support programs for mothers in need, Center of Hope services for victims of sexual assault, community health and welfare assistance programs, patient support funds to bridge financial gaps, and local students. Scholarships, Fresh Start Markets, Food Rx programs and other food insecurity programs are just a few of the efforts being made to benefit the people we serve beyond traditional health care delivery. Not too much.

Our hospital's name, location, and clinics may have changed, along with the therapies and techniques used to treat patients, but one thing that has remained the same in our 148-year history is the Catholic Medical Ministry's It is faithfulness to the mission. Respect for life, compassionate care, joyful service, and Christian stewardship continue to move our ministry forward.

Change can be difficult, but it can also be transformative. Pope Francis said the mission of Christianity is to transform individual lives and to transform the world. As we move forward in this time of change, we pray that our Catholic health ministry will continue to do just that.