April 16, 2024
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NorthShore and Northwest Community unite

Transaction adds a sixth hospital to the NorthShore system

By Lake County Journal staff report

A woman walks on the sidewalk in front of NorthShore Skokie Hospital sign in Skokie on Friday. Gov. JB Pritzker issued a stay-at-home order for the entire state, which went into effect on March 21, and lasts through at least April 7. On Jan. 1, 2021, Northwest Community Healthcare became part of NorthShore University HealthSystem. (AP photo)

Northwest Community Healthcare officially became part of NorthShore University HealthSystem on Jan. 1 after receiving federal and state regulatory approvals.

The transaction adds a sixth hospital to the NorthShore system, as well as a significant suburban outpatient presence, and further expands its reach as a regional, community-connected health care system for the Chicago area.

“Our shared approach is built around community-connected care, which means developing a strong and unified presence to meet the unique needs of patients through personal and specialized care,” NorthShore President and CEO J.P. Gallagher said in a news release. “Northwest Community and NorthShore share a culture that combines clinical excellence with compassionate relationships between our care team members and the patients we serve, which is critical now more than ever given the extraordinary times in which we are living.”

Patients will benefit from the organizations’ physician networks, which consist of more than 4,250 doctors across immediate, primary, specialty and complex care. The organizations intend to harness each other’s strengths and capabilities to provide patients with localized care decisions and access to exceptional care and services close to home. NCH patients will benefit from NorthShore’s clinical trials, as well as advanced predictive analytic technology that integrates genomics into everyday care to identify and reduce patient risk and optimize health and outcomes.

“We are very excited to join NorthShore and expand the availability of services within our communities. Being closely connected to our patients has always been a differentiator for NCH, and now through this partnership, community-based care takes on an even greater dimension,” NCH President and CEO Steve Scogna said in the release. “We will build upon our strong physician relationships and magnet-recognized nursing team with NorthShore’s research and medical education programs to ensure our communities have access to the very best clinical care available.”

The institutions will make their respective clinical centers available to a broader patient base, including NCH’s Center for Advanced Therapeutic Endoscopy and the Illinois Center for Pancreatic and Hepatobiliary Diseases, as well as NorthShore’s Orthopaedic & Spine Institute, which is the first hospital in Illinois dedicated to ortho and spine care.

Investments in enhancing community-based prevention and wellness services also are key components of the shared approach – from domestic violence prevention and free dental care for those in need to behavioral and mental health care and substance abuse programs and primary care services for the underserved.

Last year, the organizations contributed a combined $294 million to community benefit initiatives. They also provided more than 200 community initiatives and programs, reaching more than 430,000 individuals.