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Additions done, Glenbrook Hospital ready to serve
Jeel Constantine of Des Plaines is surrounded by daughter Rita Waintraub of Hoffman Estates, sister Serma Koucho (right) of Morton Grove and son-in-law David Waintraub of Hoffman Estates in one of the new private patient rooms at NorthShore Glenbrook Hosp
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Updated: January 28, 2013 4:48PM
GLENVIEW — The new fifth-floor of all private patient rooms has completed the $150-million expansion of NorthShore Glenbrook Hospital in Glenview.
As part of the NorthShore University HealthSystem headquartered in Evanston, since 2009 Glenbrook Hospital has constructed several care centers.
The new 48 private rooms were built after administrators considered patient and family feedback at other NorthShore hospitals, said Sean O’Grady, Glenbrook president.
He said the 48 private rooms were built based on feedback from Glenbrook patients and experience of administrators from other NorthShore hospitals.
“When you’re not feeling well, sharing a room with a stranger is not the best experience,” he explained.
“Our patients told us they wanted private rooms for their comfort and so they could have more time and space with their families when recovering from illness or surgery,” O’Grady added. “Private rooms also have clinical and infection control benefits for patients.”
David Rahija, vice president of Glenbrook Hospital, said other enhancements helped create “the complete patient experience,” such as the healing garden, Atrium café, patient rooms large enough for comfortable family visits and quieted, enclosed nursing stations that kept noise away from recuperating patients.
“From the community, we’ve seen this growing demand at NorthShore hospitals, and Glenbrook is part of this growth,” said Rahija, of Glenview.
O’Grady also explained that 15 years ago local patients had to seek special care at NorthShore Evanston Hospital or downtown Chicago.
“We’ve risen with the community’s size, diversity and expectations, such as with services in neurosurgery, pediatrics and cardiology,” he said.
Jeel Constantine, of Des Plaines, was hospitalized last week at Glenbrook following kidney disease.
She was undergoing dialysis and had applied for a donated kidney.
“The quiet environment helps me rest,” said Constantine, 55, with three family members nearby.
“I think I’ll get better here. I’m very grateful. When I came into the emergency room, I didn’t have to wait long. I’m safe here,” she said.
“We think this hospital and staff are top of the line,” said her son-in-law, David Waintraub.
In March 2012, the John and Carol Walter Ambulatory Care Center opened with a cancer patient care unit, an outpatient therapy services unit and urological and neurological health centers.
The center also provides outpatient, occupational and speech therapy services.
The 27 treatment rooms are private, and patients have a view of the healing garden
Dr. Charles Brendler said the center offered an array of services for total patient care, instead of traveling around to several doctors and care centers.
“For instance, among the services that impact urological diseases, you’ll find here radiation, oncology and medical oncology,” he said.
“The other important part of total patient care is the center has psychosocial health care for treating obesity, for example, with stress reduction, yoga and acupuncture — all in proximity to the center.”
In November, the William D. and Pamela Hutul Ross Sexual Health Clinic opened with a specialty for treating prostate cancer patients for sexual dysfunctions.
The clinic’s director, urology clinical nurse specialist Jeffrey Albaugh, also led sexual health centers at Jesse Brown VA Medical Center and Northwestern Memorial Hospital, both in Chicago.
“I’m passionate about this problem because when things go wrong with sexual functions, it’s like a taboo subject around the world,” Albaugh said.
“Even with providers, research shows even though 90 percent said this problem was important to treat, 94 percent were unlikely to discuss sexual issues with patients,” he said, adding up to 80 percent of men experience erectile dysfunction after prostrate cancer treatments, such as surgery, radiation and hormone therapy.
Employing 10,000 healthcare workers with 2,400 physicians, NorthShore University HealthSystem also has hospitals in Highland Park and Skokie.
NorthShore HealthSystem is the teaching affiliate for the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine.
