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player ready...Construction began Sept. 30 on a new cancer center at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge.
The two-story facility is intended to be a regional health hub for people newly diagnosed, for those undergoing treatment and for patients in recovery. The 77,000 square-foot campus is expected to open in early 2028 next to the existing hospital at 1700 Luther Lane. This project will nearly double the hospital’s footprint as the existing building is 99,600 square feet.
In an interview over the summer, Lutheran President Allison Wyler described the center as a “destination cancer facility.”
The new center will consolidate a slew of cancer-related services already provided at the hospital, though not in any central location. The move is intended to make it easier for patients and create a sort of “one-stop-shop.”
Those services include things like surgical oncology, hematology, transplant and cellular therapy, infusion and survivorship services. The facility will also include 73 infusion treatment bays, an oncology pharmacy, and lab services for diagnostic work.
In addition, hospital administration believes it will help health providers work together on patient care.
“The environment we are going to be creating allows it to be very patient- centered and team-centered to support the entire patient journey,” Wyler said.
This is good news for staff who, in a press release, reported how consolidating services can help.
“As a surgeon, I see how cancer care improves when the right medical minds come together around one patient, one plan, and the latest advances in treatment and research. This investment will make that individualized, team-based care more accessible to patients across our community,” said Dr. Nikolaos Dallas, vice president of Advocate Health’s national cancer service line, Illinois Division. “It’s about earlier diagnoses, better outcomes and fewer north suburban families losing a loved one to cancer.”
The project is expected to cost about $99 million.
Besides the medical benefits of offering a one-stop-shop, the facility’s design team will create a distinct landscaped front in order to make the center appear more welcoming to people with cancer.
Steve Gregory, the director of landscape architecture, told the Park Ridge Zoning Board of Appeals over the summer he wanted the front area to feel inviting.
“It helps calm people down who are anxious about where they’re headed,” he said, describing the proposed garden walkway.
Jesse Wright is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.