by
Nick Przybyciel | Jul 30, 2014
City Council approves funding for new women’s health center, ER upgrades at Swedish Covenant Hospital
CHICAGO (July 30, 2014) – City Council today approved $4.6 million in Tax Increment Financing (TIF) for a new women’s health center and emergency room upgrades at Swedish Covenant Hospital in Lincoln Square.
“We want to do all that we can to ensure that all of Chicago’s residents have access to quality health care,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who introduced the proposal. “In modernizing and expanding access to these quality health care services, Swedish Covenant is investing in the lives of people in the community.”
The $8 million Mayora Rosenberg Women’s Health Center will be constructed inside the hospital’s Galter Medical Pavilion at 5140 N. California Ave. The 16,800-square-foot build-out will provide health-related services and resources for women, many of whom face major barriers to accessing health care. When open in October, the facility will offer the following integrated services:
- Female staffing and women-only patient areas. The private facility will help make women’s health care visits comfortable and will be sensitive to the needs of several north side religious and cultural groups.
- Advanced treatments. Women will have access to private mammography suites with 3-D mammogram technology, as well as breast health navigators to guide them through diagnostic testing, treatment and survivorship. Nutrition services, bone health services, customized wellness physicals and dermatological treatments are just a few of the additional services that will be offered.
- Support for uninsured and underinsured patients. The Community Breast Health Program at Swedish Covenant Hospital provides women with access to lifesaving screenings that can help them achieve their personal health and wellness goals.
- Flexible, child-friendly appointment times. The center will offer convenient online scheduling, including evening and weekend appointments, to fit into women’s busy lives.
- Translation services. The center will include trained medical interpreters and dedicated phone lines for telephonic translation services in more than 100 languages.
Services offered by the new Women’s Health Center were based on community needs and determined in collaboration with 10 community organizations that include Centro Romero, Indo-American Center, the Polish Initiative of Chicago and Korean American Community Services.
Meanwhile, the $10.4 million in emergency room improvements involve 14,000 square feet of space in the hospital’s East Wing Building at 2739 W. Foster Ave. The work includes upgrades to 27 trauma and examination rooms, the pharmacy, nurse’s station, waiting area, and mechanical systems. Work will be completed by spring 2016.
More than 200 temporary construction jobs are projected to be generated by the $18.4 million that will be spent on these projects through hospital and TIF funds. An additional 30 permanent jobs, including doctors, nurses and technicians, will also be created.
