Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center’s Center for Advanced Care opens in Chicago

The new $100 million Center for Advanced Care at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center opened today in Chicago’s Lake View community. The 164,000-square-foot, three-story facility was designed by SmithGroup, one of the nation’s leading architecture, engineering and planning firms.

The new building, attached to the main hospital, allows Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center to expand and centralize three medical specialties—cancer care, digestive health and outpatient surgery services—in a single, integrated platform. The Center improves access to care, continuity among disciplines, enhanced operational efficiencies and a better overall experience for patients and their families. More than 20,000 patients are expected to be cared for in the building annually.

The Angelo P. Creticos Cancer Center, formerly situated in a building located at the southwest corner of Wellington and Mildred in Chicago, has been relocated to the north end of the Center for Advanced Care. The Cancer Center now has two new linear accelerators for powerful, targeted cancer treatment; 16 infusion bays; and an educational resource area.

The building provides seven times the medical center’s previous space dedicated for digestive health. Located on the south end, the Digestive Health Clinic features five new procedure rooms.

The Center for Advanced Care’s expanded outpatient surgery facilities, housed on the third floor over 38,000-square-feet, have added six state-of-the-art operating rooms and 18 prep and recovery rooms. Other amenities at the facility include a health resource library, conference facilities and a café.

The addition creates an integrated platform where patients and physicians can more easily access care resources, including an innovative multi-disciplinary condominium clinic with flexible, universal exam and consult spaces.

“One of the goals of the project was to demystify the patient experience by creating a physical space that is warm, open and inviting,” said Tim Tracey, AIA, principal-in-charge, SmithGroup, Chicago. “The design of the new Center represents the quality of care that patients receive at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center,” Tracey added.

Signature design elements created by SmithGroup designers for the Center for Advanced Care include a sweeping, curved glass façade on the south elevation with an integral passive sunshade system. Public corridors are outfitted with open seating and waiting areas located along the softly undulating circulation spine and overlooking Nelson Street, creating an easy-to-navigate wayfinding system that connects the new building with the main hospital. At street level, a three-story glass atrium lobby and reception area accentuate the facility’s main entrance.

Sustainable design features include a distinctive living wall that will bloom year-round as part of a community garden, located in a 21,000-square-foot park that runs along the back of the building. The park provides pathways and outdoor benches for patients and visitors to enjoy year-round. Also sustainably designed is the building’s roof, which is 50% green. The facility is targeting LEED-NC Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Nestled in the heart of Chicago’s Lake View community, the Center for Advanced Care serves as a destination health resource to the community. The Center has convenient access to CTA trains and buses, as well as on-site patient and visitor valet and standard parking. While attached to the existing main hospital building, located at 836 W. Wellington Avenue, there is an additional entrance to the Center on Nelson Street east of Sheffield Avenue.

Joining SmithGroup on the design and construction team were KJWW Engineering, Thornton Tomasetti and Turner Construction.

Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center is a 408-bed hospital in Chicago with a Level I trauma center and a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the highest designations awarded by the state of Illinois. It offers comprehensive inpatient services, including medical, surgical, obstetrics and pediatric care, as well as a full breadth of outpatient services. A recipient of numerous awards for quality and clinical excellence, Illinois Masonic has been ranked one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals for the past six consecutive years by Truven Health Analytics, and has also been named a Leader in the Human Rights Campaign’s Healthcare Equality Index for the past six years, as well as one of the Chicago region’s Best Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report for the past two years.

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