Founded in 1973, Adventist Health System (AHS) has become one of the largest nonprofit faith-based healthcare providers in the nation. Today, AHS owns and operates 36 hospitals in 10 states (CO, FL, GA, IL, KS, KY, NC, TN, TX, WI) that serve nearly 4 million patients each year in inpatient, outpatient, and emergency room visits.

Similar to most healthcare facility owners, AHS faces an ongoing challenge to develop and improve its facilities in times of ever-rising costs for design and construction. Over the past three years, Parsons has served as program manager to AHS for the development of several of its facilities, including the 310,000-ft² Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital.

Constructed on the existing site of the Adventist Bolingbrook Medical Center, the new Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital is part of Parsons’ $500+ million master agreement with AHS for the overall comprehensive program management of their facility development. Located in Bolingbrook, Illinois, approximately 27 miles west of Chicago, Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital is the first nonreplacement hospital built in Illinois in more than 20 years. When completed, the hospital will be designated a Level II Trauma Center and offer services ranging from cardiac to maternity.

Windows being installed.	Front view of the new hospital.

As program manager for this 138-bed (106 medical/surgical, 20 obstetrical, and 12 intensive care) facility, Parsons has been instrumental in providing cost-effective solutions that maintain the overall budget, including a design solution to preserve the existing emergency department and medical office building. The project also incorporates the latest concepts in healthcare technology:

• An electronic medical record system that provides nurses and doctors quicker access to medical records, promoting systemwide consistency and efficient healthcare practices.

• A picture archiving and communication system that allows for digital radiology images to be available on the electronic medical record system, improving access to patient information.

• Wireless access throughout the hospital that allows nurses to check and record vital signs with handheld devices and input patient information directly into the patients’ records.

• All-private patient rooms that feature the latest amenities, including a designated family zone, a flat-screen TV, a DVD player, wireless internet access, and bedside nurse call button and room controls.

• An outdoor garden court located next to the cafeteria that will be a medical-free zone for families and patients.

Green and serene, Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital’s carefully planned landscaping will offer a quiet retreat for visitors and patients. Even the building’s color scheme reflects elements of nature in the surrounding site. Earthy shades on the ground floor give way to a blue palette on the upper floors, reflecting the broad expanses of sky visible from large windows in each room. All these elements combine to produce a tranquil atmosphere to enhance the healing environment for patients and their families.

Artist’s rendering.

Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital’s opening in December 2007 will offer outstanding new services and advanced technologies to the growing communities of the southwestern suburbs of Chicago, improving healthcare access for tens of thousands of people.

From inception through owner occupancy, Parsons helps healthcare clients such as AHS accomplish their business plans by developing financially justifiable, patient-focused healing environments.

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