URBANA, Ill — Carle Foundation Hospital has begun construction on its nine-story, 375,350 square-foot patient care tower, which will house the Carle Heart and Vascular Institute. The facility was designed by national healthcare architecture firm Shepley Bulfinch and is being built by Pepper Construction.
The $220 million facility will include space for advanced technology, improved facilities for direct patient care, and most importantly, a modern, comfortable environment for patients and their families. The tower will replace beds currently located in buildings constructed in the 1960s and 1970s.
“With advancing technology and changing patient needs, we must be committed to improvements for patients today and for those we will serve in the future,” said James C. Leonard, MD, president and chief executive officer of The Carle Foundation. The facility will allow for continued enhancements and improvements to quality of care, said Dr. Leonard. “Carle, ranked among the nation’s Top 100 Hospitals in 2011 and recognized in the top 5% for cardiac care by Healthgrades, consistently ranks among the best, but constantly strives to do even better to help our patients achieve the best outcomes possible.”
The building will be the most advanced facility ever built on Carle’s campus. With this center, Carle’s team will have leading-edge resources to enhance detection and treatment. Combined with excellent services and nationally ranked outcomes, Carle will have improved ability to recruit and retain physicians and other healthcare providers.
Site preparation work for the project began in March. The building is scheduled for completion in 2013.
