Member News Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
July 30, 2009

Silver Cross Receives License for Free-Standing Emergency Center

Silver Cross continues to lead as a premier healthcare provider as the hospital recently received a license to operate a Free-standing Emergency Center (FEC) at 12701 W. 143rd Street in Homer Glen. The new Silver Cross Free-Standing Emergency Care Center will open at 7 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 1 to treat patients. The Center will be staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by Silver Cross Hospital's board certified emergency medicine physicians and emergency trained nurses and paramedics.

"Silver Cross is committed to bringing more of its "Top 100" services to the community with the opening of this facility," said David Mikolajczak, D.O., Medical Director of Emergency Services at Silver Cross Hospital. "It's an exciting time for area residents of all ages - children through senior citizens - who will now have access to full service emergency medicine closer to their homes."

24/7 Emergency Care Close to Home
The Silver Cross Free-Standing Emergency Care Center is 5,540 square feet and is built to hospital standards. It includes 5 private exam rooms and 1 minor procedure room. Laboratory and diagnostic imaging services including: MRI, CT, X-rays, EKGs will be available in the building 24/7 to ensure timely and accurate diagnosis. In addition, an ambulance and two paramedics will be on site.

The development of Free-Standing Emergency Care Centers throughout the country are in an effort to respond to consumers who want more convenient ways to take care of injuries and illnesses that are too serious to wait for a doctor's appointment. "We want to give patients options in how they access our services," says Theresa Quinn, Director of Ambulatory Care at Silver Cross. "In return, we will go the extra mile to understand and even anticipate the needs and wants of each and every one of our patients. We are excited to provide more access to medical care through our Free-Standing Emergency Care Center."

"Now residents don't have to travel far to seek emergency care to treat a variety of serious illnesses and injuries, such as extreme fevers, broken bones, and serious cuts," said Mikolajczak. "We are prepared to take care of anything at the Free-Standing Emergency Care Center."

Patients will also be able to check wait times—if any at www.silvercross.org for both the Homer Glen Free-Standing Emergency Care Center as well as Silver Cross Hospital in Joliet.

Community Grand Opening Celebration
The community is invited to tour the new Silver Cross Free-Standing Emergency Care Center on Friday, July 31, from 4 to7 p.m. at the Grand Opening Celebration.

The afternoon will be filled with many fun, family activities including the following:

  • Free travel-size First Aid Kit to the first 100 families to tour the facility
  • Raffle to win a Flat Screen TV with Nintendo Wii Bundle, Chicago White Sox Box Seat Tickets and Joliet JackHammers Box Seat Tickets and other prizes
  • Meet and greet with the emergency medicine physicians and several other doctors with offices in the professional building specializing in family practice, pediatrics, podiatry, and spine surgery.
  • Spend time at a Teddy Bear Clinic, fire truck and ambulance, Bounce House, meet "Jammer" and a "Backyardigan"
  • Free refreshments including Chesdan's Pizza and Creamery Ice Cream
  • Health screenings including:
    • Calcium Score for heart disease This quick and painless test uses a high-speed CT Scanner to measure calcium deposits in the coronary arteries, which is a sign of atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries
    • FREE Colon Cancer Kits
    • FREE Blood Pressure Screenings
    • FREE Foot & Ankle Screenings
    • Free Scoliosis Screenings

Advanced registration is required for Calcium Score and Foot and Ankle screenings by calling (708) 364-6337.

For more information about the Grand Opening Celebration or the Silver Cross Free-Standing Emergency Care Center, call (708) 364-6337.

About Silver Cross Hospital
Silver Cross Hospital is a not-for-profit health care provider serving Will County and southwest suburban communities since 1895. Silver Cross has been recognized as a Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals National Award winner for the last four consecutive years and as one of America's Most Customer Friendly Hospitals by the American Alliance of Healthcare Providers. With over 2,500 employees, physicians and volunteers, Silver Cross operates a 304-bed acute care hospital and eight satellite facilities providing outpatient services and physician offices. Construction has begun to build a state-of-the-art replacement hospital opening in 2012 in New Lenox. To learn more about Silver Cross Hospital or a referral to a physician on staff, visit www.silvercross.org or call 1-888-660-HEAL (4325).