Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington completes 4-year, $247 million modernization

BARRINGTON – Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital has completed a four-year,
$247 million modernization project that included an extensive renovation and expansion.

“After four years, the construction is complete,” said Landon Rose, the hospital’s vice president of operations.

The modernization added 230,000 square feet of space and renovated 150,000 square feet. The update includes four new inpatient units, an expanded 18-bed intensive care unit and three surgical units.

Each of the hospital’s 176 inpatient rooms now are private. On top of being roomier and more comfortable, the rooms received a healthy dose of high tech. Each room has a private bathroom, shower and a couch that can be pulled out into a bed for visiting family.

“Improving the patient care experience is our goal,” hospital President Karen Lambert said in a statement.

The modernization included 14 new and renovated operating rooms and four rooms for cardiac catheterization, electrophysiology and interventional radiology. A mindset toward increased capacity and state-of-the-art equipment informed design, Rose said.

“For our patients and families, this means convenience and comfort supported by the newest and most innovative technology available,” Rose said.

Aside from new surgical equipment, new imaging tools will allow surgeons to get instant access to patients’ scans and X-rays, and large wall-mounted screens will display images taken during procedures.

Other new and modernized areas include:

• Consultation space for patients with chronic illness, such as congestive heart failure and diabetes.

• A centralized testing area offering easy access to diagnostic exams.

• A new breast care center with expanded capacity.

• A new physical rehabilitation and cardiopulmonary rehabilitation departments.

• An expanded endoscopy area.

Every outpatient testing and diagnostic service – X-ray, MRI, ultrasound and the like – now is upstairs from the hospital lobby, ending the days in which they were scattered throughout the hospital.

Downstairs at the main entrance is the breast care center, which, like much of the hospital, has been upgraded with the latest technology.

Upstairs from the entrance is a new waiting area for families whose loved ones are undergoing surgery.

Mortenson Construction completed the project.

“This design enhances patient access and creates a more streamlined flow,” Lambert said.