Final Construction Underway on New Addition to OSF Rockford Hospital

It's been more than two years since ground was broken on construction of the North Tower at OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center, in Rockford. The $85 million, 144,000 square foot addition to the hospital has become a dominant presence on the campus and is creating lot of talk and anticipation in the community.  

That buzz has recently been heightened as we have opened our doors to invite our health care partners, as well as community and business leaders, to get a "backstage" look at the changes.

"We really wanted to give people the opportunity to experience the building in construction," says Karen Brown, Vice President of Operations for OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center. "So that when they see the building when it's open they'll be able to recognize and really, actually, have felt what it was like to participate in the construction of the building."

The centerpiece of the North Tower is 78 private rooms, providing up-to-date amenities for patients and their families. With renovations to existing rooms, Saint Anthony will eventually have 190 private rooms for patients. Additionally, the new space allows for the expansion and improvement of some outpatient services. Even some new ones.   

"We have our Women's Center, which is, primarily, for diagnostics and wwomen's services" says Brown. And then we will also have a spa area, rejuvenation services, so massages, facials, just some nice amenities there, as well as our weight management area. We will have a demonstration kitchen to really help with population health managment and help with improving the health and wellness in the region."

The new addition will also house a retail pharmacy, an OSF PromptCare - an immediate care clinic and occupational health and employer services.

Patient disruption during the long construction has been minimal, though traffic - both personal and vehicle-wise, has sometimes been rerouted. Some of that has to do with changes to Saint Anthony's main entrance and lobby.

"That is to accommodate the connection, primarily, to this building," says Brown. "So, that was the primary reason for that. But as well, we will continue to go ahead and do some renovation in our existing building, so that the experience for our patients and our family members will be the same throughout the building."

The public will be invited to see the new North Tower during an open house on the first weekend in April. Patients will begin being treated in the expanded space a week later.