Telestroke Center to Care for Patients Suffering from Traumatic Brain Injury; Hospital to be Part of Northwestern Medicine Network; Is Lake Forest’s Biggest Project Ever
LAKE FOREST, Ill.–(ENEWSPF)–August 22, 2014. U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) today attended the groundbreaking for Lake Forest’s new premiere hospital, alongside Congressman Brad Schneider (D-Ill.-10), Lake Forest Mayor Donald P. Schoenheider (R), Northwestern Memorial President and CEO Dean M. Harrison and Lake Forest Hospital President Thomas J. McAffey. Lake Forest Hospital is part of the Northwestern Medicine network in Illinois. The new hospital building is expecting to begin caring for patients by 2017. The construction of the new hospital is Lake Forest’s biggest project to date.
“The inclusion of a telestroke and cancer care center at Lake Forest’s new hospital will save lives and secure its place as the jewel of the North Shore and as Illinois’ premiere place for healthcare,” Senator Kirk said. “Having received life-saving care from the medical staff at Lake Forest myself, I know firsthand how important this new project is to our community and those suffering from traumatic brain injury.”
Senator Kirk first visited Lake Forest Hospital when he began experiencing stroke symptoms in 2012. He received life-saving care from the medical staff at the hospital before being sent to Northwestern Memorial for additional care. The new hospital will include a telestroke center for patients who are suffering from traumatic brain injury. A telestroke center utilizes various electronic communication services to share brain scans, patient information and medical records with other hospitals in the area to ensure patients receive the best possible care. The usage of this network can speed up patient care and life-saving treatment during a stroke.
In addition to the telestroke center at the new hospital, Lake Forest Hospital also is expanding its cancer care and will have a brand new cancer center with outpatient services when the building is complete. Patients currently are split between medical centers for a full range of treatments, and the addition of the cancer center will make treatment easier and more localized. The expansion of the cancer center will ensure that patients are able to access high-quality cancer care without being subjected to long travel times and a range of doctors at other hospitals.
Source: kirk.senate.gov
