The $17.8 million project will add 25 new intensive care unit (ICU) rooms, more than doubling the hospital’s ICU capacity from 14 to 29 beds.

The modernized space features a centralized and expanded care team hub, designed for efficient patient monitoring and quick access to patient rooms. Attention to detail was a priority in both function and aesthetics.

Pointcore Construction Program Manager Jordan Sondag notes that ergonomic design and nurse and provider input guided placement of bedside utilities like oxygen and IV hookups, as well as nurse documentation stations with dimmer switches for lights and room-facing windows for better patient visibility.

“The finish selections and paint colors are soothing and healing,” said Sondag. “This space reflects our commitment to compassionate, high-quality care – and we want patients to feel that from the moment they walk in.”

The expansion repurposes the former Center for Healthy Lifestyles and incorporates space from an adjacent courtyard. The relocation of the ICU will allow OSF HealthCare in the future to construct a new patient tower which will add 60-65 additional private beds.

Sondag also said one of the biggest challenges was adapting the design to the hospital’s existing structural grid, which required extensive excavation and reinforcement to support the new infrastructure and equipment.

Eunmee (UHN-mee) Shim, OSF HealthCare St. Joseph Medical Center president, says the transformation is part of a larger strategy to allow OSF St. Joseph Medical Center to be a regional referral center. Over the last few years, the hospital has been forced to deny hundreds of incoming patient transfers from smaller community hospitals due to being at capacity, making the expansion project key in serving surrounding rural communities.

“They’re losing a lot of services, so as a regional referral center, we will be receiving a lot more patients; many of them can’t get the care they need in their own community therefore likely they will be delaying care and presenting themselves much sicker.” 

McLean County’s population is growing rapidly, driven in part by expanding local industries such as the Rivian auto plant and the recent opening of Ferrero’s candy factory in Bloomington – both of which are increasing demand for health care services. Additionally, Shim points out OSF St. Joseph will be offering a more comprehensive range of care and is expanding its number of providers to meet the evolving needs for convenient specialty care.

“We will be adding complexity of patients because we’re adding more complex services and bringing additional providers with specialties that we have not had before and all of that will require us to have bigger and better prepared critical care beds.”

OSF St. Joseph currently offers a wide range of services such as cancer care, pregnancy and birthing, emergency services, heart and vascular care, neurosurgery, and more.

Hayley Aeschleman, manager of ICU, step-down and centralized telemetry, says the location of the new ICU is better for patient privacy and safety.

“We are right across the hall from the operating room, which is really exciting, especially when you have patients who might need emergent surgery. Sometimes you’re just really prepping them for surgery and then sometimes actually running that patient to the OR from ICU to make sure we can give them care they need to save their life. So, now instead of going across the hospital, we’ll be just literally right across the hall, which is super exciting.” 

Courtney Bier (BEER), director of inpatient nursing services, said nurses and managers provided important input about room layout and features needed to meet the demands of caring for sicker patients with more complex health challenges. For example, when the project started, there was not a lift in every patient room.

“Throughout the design process, getting feedback from other leaders; from critical Mission Partners (employees), we realized how important it was to have those lifts both for the patient safety as well as for the Mission Partners’ safety because again, our patients are sicker. They’re able to do a lot less for themselves and we need to keep our Mission Partners safe while also making sure we’re meeting our patients’ needs.” 

Telehealth technology is being integrated into the new ICU rooms to accommodate tele intensivists and additional monitoring from OSF OnCall, the digital health arm of OSF HealthCare with a centralized command center in Peoria, Illinois. Bier says each ICU room is equipped with a monitor and camera. As former night shift nurses, both Bier and Aeschleman say the extra support is comforting.

“We find OSF OnCall so valuable, especially in the ICU – sometimes it’s just another set of eyes like, ‘Hey, I need a second opinion – there’s not another person available on the unit’ – and so I’m very excited we have that capability.” 

Shim says the expansion is requiring nearly doubling the number of providers and support staff, such as patient care techs and certified nursing assistants. It has resulted in hiring many new graduate nurses and a total of 100 new full-time Mission Partners. The changes also put OSF St. Joseph Medical Center on track to transition the hospital to all private patient rooms.

Jordan Sondag and Eunmee Shim

Hayley Aeschleman and Courtney Bier

B-roll for 25 bed ICU expansion, OSF HealthCare St. Joseph Medical Center

Kids played various games and engaged with student athletes in the heated, inflatable dual-membrane fabric air dome designed for year-round use by Redbird student-athletes. It also has artificial turf to match the current surface at Hancock Stadium. 

The open house celebration was held prior to the Illinois State football spring game. OSF STEAM hosted a table where kids learned about color blindness with special 3D glasses, plus they explored the human brain with specimens they could experience hands-on. They also took away a coloring page as part of activities designed to engage young people to think about the wonders of science and a potential career in medicine.

OSF decided to make a significant financial contribution to the long-anticipated ISU athletic indoor practice facility on the heels of a five-year agreement that made OSF HealthCare the official health care provider for Illinois State University athletics in an exclusive partnership. As part of that agreement, OSF HealthCare provides Illinois State University student-athletes with access to athletic trainers, sports medicine providers, orthopedic surgeons, and behavioral health professionals.

OSF HealthCare Eastern Region Chief Medical Officer Carol Friesen says the strong partnership between two long-standing community organizations is about contributing to better education, and health and wellness.

“It’s important that we take care of each other. Health care and academics are the lynchpin of every community and if we’re strong, then the whole community is vibrant. So, we wanted to make an investment in a meaningful way that would further what’s going on here at ISU.”

Friesen was astounded to learn 19 different sports on campus use the facility, along with community use by various travel sports teams. OSF HealthCare St. Joseph Medical Center President Eunmee (pronounced UHN-may) Shim was impressed by the size and scope of the facility and shared that the significant OSF investment reflects its Mission to serve with the greatest care and love. Plus, it supports a potential future talent pool.

“Investing in ISU makes perfect sense because we’ll be getting the talents from them. They are the anchor of the community we can serve together.”

Athletic Director Jeri Beggs says having an indoor practice facility is so necessary to remain a competitive program in NCAA Division 1 athletics. But even Beggs was surprised by how many sports are now using the building.

“Our golf team loves this space because they can chip and actually see the trajectory of the ball. Baseball and softball play almost legitimate games in here. They put home plate over here. Softball says it’s basically a real field for them except right field is a little short. So, all of our sports come in here – just doing sprints in here.” She adds, “It has changed every sport that we have.”

Retired former athletic director Larry Lyons started the fundraising and planning for the facility. Head football coach Brock Spack credits him with a vision for the indoor practice center, as well as for improving other facilities dating back to Spack's start with the university 15 years ago. But Spack says without financial support from OSF HealthCare, Lyon’s vision might not have become reality.

Spack also points out the impressive facility has helped with recruiting, and he says it has made a significant difference in the excitement and performance among student athletes.

“It doesn’t matter when we practice here – whether its spring or winter, or fall, they come in here and they play lights out because I think it has a big-time feel to it, and they feel like a big-time team in here. We have really good practices in here.”

Redbird Athletics dedicated and officially opened the newly named OSF HealthCare Athletics Training Center on September 30, 2023. 

Carol Friesen & Eunmee Shim

Jeri Beggs & Brock Spack

B-roll of OSF-ISU Naming Celebration

J.T. Barnhart, president of OSF HealthCare Heart of Mary Medical Center in Urbana, Illinois, will be interim president at OSF Sacred Heart in addition to his role at OSF Heart of Mary. Barnhart has led OSF Heart of Mary since February 2023. OSF HealthCare leaders will evaluate candidates for the next permanent president at OSF Sacred Heart.

Photos

B-roll