The newest clinical building on the University of Illinois at Chicago health sciences campus will open to patients on September 26.
Leadership from UIC and its health system, UI Health, marked the occasion with a ribbon-cutting event outside the $194 million building on Sept. 14.
The Specialty Care Building, at 1009 S. Wood St., is the new home of Illinois Eye and Ear at UI Health, which was previously located at 1855 W. Taylor St. It is also the location of the new outpatient Bruno and Sallie Pasquinelli Surgery Center.
The building is expected to serve 600 to 800 patients per day.
UIC Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs Dr. Robert Barish kicked off the party and welcomed distinguished guests, including University of Illinois System President Timothy Killeen, Chicago 27th Ward Ald. Walter Burnett Jr., and Illinois 9th District Rep. Lakesia Collins.
The Specialty Care Building is designed to meet the growing need for specialty services and ambulatory surgery in the Chicago metropolitan area. The state-of-the-art facility has approximately 200,000 square feet of surgical and patient care space dedicated to providing an exceptional healthcare experience for patients and their families.
The building includes six floors of patient care space, with eight operating and eight procedure rooms, and 48 surgical centers. It also includes 182 rooms for gastroenterology, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, special clinics for transplant care and urology and a pharmacy.
The new building will also include new technology and functionality for an improved patient experience, from check-in kiosks to valet parking and intuitive wayfinding.
Construction of the building, which was contracted to Pepper/Brown and Momen Construction, employed approximately 500 individuals during the two-year project. Approximately 20% of professional services and 35% of construction vendors were local minority, women, disabled, and veteran-owned businesses certified under the Business Enterprise Program Act.
The expanded clinical operations and services in the new building are expected to create more than 100 full-time positions once it is fully operational. Most of the new jobs involve positions that are part of the university’s collective bargaining units.
Under the public-private partnership between UIC and Provident Resources Group, a 501(c)(3) corporation, Provident financed 100% of the construction through tax-exempt bonds and now leases the facility to UI Health for a 30-year term. the bonds. Additional funding for medical equipment and furnishings was provided by private philanthropy.
What people have said:
“UI’s incredible new Specialty Care Building illustrates the power of collaboration and partnership to drive real change in the lives of Illinois citizens.” University of Illinois System President Tim Killeen said. “Through the public-private partnership that made this new facility possible, UI Health will provide better outcomes for its patients. Partnerships like this one and those the U of I System is a part of across the state are providing better and better access to education, health care and economic opportunities that will help Illinoisans thrive for decades to come. future.“
“Today’s ribbon cutting is first and foremost about the thousands of residents in Chicago and Illinois who will have greater access to world-class health care. Additionally, it is about the jobs this facility will bring and the hundreds of students pursuing careers in the health sciences who will benefit from learning in this new clinical environment.” UIC Interim Chancellor Javier Reyes said. “The Specialty Care Building is another example of our mission to invest in our patients, and our students, faculty, staff and partners, providing us with new and much-needed space and tools to further our efforts. to serve our diversity. communities.”
“Today we pause to recognize your incredible teamwork and dedication to the vision of the UI Health Specialty Care Building.” UIC Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs Dr. Robert Barish said. “Through the work that each of you has done on this project, UI Health is fulfilling its mission to provide exceptional care, making innovative medical discoveries and training the healthcare leaders of tomorrow.”
“The opening of the Specialty Care Building fulfills a decades-long vision to provide our patients with an expanded, state-of-the-art destination to receive world-class specialty and surgical care. Executive Dean of the University of Illinois College of Medicine Dr. Mark Rosenblatt said. “The building represents a partnership between the College of Medicine and UI Health to fulfill our shared mission to advance health for all through advances in clinical care, education, research and social responsibility. In the Specialty Care Building, our faculty will not only provide expert clinical care to our community, but also train the next generation of talented physicians and make research discoveries that will impact the lives of patients.
“This building supports not only the medical health, but the economic health of our communities, and gives us a better platform to continue our service throughout Chicago’s west and south sides.” University of Illinois Hospital and Clinics CEO Michael Zenn said. “Building Specialty Care is an important tool in our effort to address disparities in access, which are at the core of disparities in health outcomes.”
Photo Gallery:
Photos were taken by Joshua Clark at UI Health’s ribbon-cutting celebration of the Specialty Care Building on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022, on the UIC campus. (Photo: Joshua Clark/UIC.)
