Overview
- The Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board will consider Northwestern Memorial’s application on Jan. 13 to add 42 ICU beds and build a two-story connector, and the project cannot proceed without approval.
- SEIU members say emergency room waits are prolonged by understaffing, reporting days with as few as six ER assistants and delays tied to cleaning and patient transport.
- Northwestern cites federal data showing an average emergency visit of about 5.5 hours, which it says aligns with large, urban Level I trauma centers, and notes recent increases in ED housekeepers and transporters.
- The union, which represents about 1,700 workers, held a rally outside the ER as negotiations continue on a contract set to expire at the end of January.
- Hospital filings frame the $96 million proposal as a near-term step to ease ED backups, complementing earlier approval to spend $56 million on design for a potential new tower that could open by 2031 if approved.