For over 90 years, individuals and families in Chicago's Southland have trusted St. James Hospital and Health Centers to provide the most advanced, yet compassionate care for their loved ones. Generations have witnessed St. James' growth as it has evolved from a 50-bed acute care hospital that opened its doors in 1911 to a two-campus healthcare delivery system that today serves a population of more than 550,000 in the far south suburbs of Chicago. With campuses in Chicago Heights and Olympia Fields, St. James offers a wide range of services and a unique blend of both allopathic (M.D.) and osteopathic (D.O.) philosophies of medicine. Through the ministry of the Sisters of The first efforts toward the establishment of a hospital in Chicago Heights date back to 1906. The city's close proximity to Chicago dictated its rise as an industrial and manufacturing community. With industrialization came a growth in population and on-the-job accidents, and the need for a city hospital became apparent.

Initial attempts to establish a hospital awakened considerable community interest but failed to generate adequate funding. It wasn't until 1909, when the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration were invited to build and operate a community hospital, that plans took shape.

With a solid background in the medical field, the Sisters accepted the responsibility. They had built and were already operating 16 hospitals and 36 schools and orphanages since coming to the United States in 1876 after fleeing their native Germany because of religious persecution.

Through the commitment and determination of the Sisters and the hopes and efforts of many civic organizations, the cornerstone for the original 50-bed St. James Hospital was laid in January 1911. Named after the apostle, James the Greater, and James Edward Quigley (then-Archbishop of Chicago), St. James Hospital opened its doors on Thanksgiving Day, 1911.

The Beginning of Growth
Before two decades had passed, a wing twice as large as St. James' original building was added. This 1926 addition increased the hospital's capacity to 132 beds. In 1960, another addition was needed, bringing the bed capacity to 250. Three years later, the original 1911 structure was razed to accommodate a multi-million dollar 188-bed wing. The seven-story addition was dedicated in 1965, providing expanded services and doubling bed capacity. It also was in the early 1960's that St. James made history by being the first in Chicagoland to provide hyperbaric oxygen therapy -- a primary treatment for carbon monoxide poisoning. Today, St. James' hyperbaric chamber provides the only source of hyperbaric treatment in the South Suburbs and Northwest Indiana and, most recently, has proven effective in promoting the healing of various types of wounds.

A Cancer Care Center opened in 1977, followed by a $10-million facility expansion in 1980. In 1984, St. James added a multi-level parking structure and heliport. The tiny plot on which St. James was founded in 1911 had grown to encompass a square city block and bed capacity increased to 231.

Meeting the Needs of the Community
The history and growth of St. James parallel that of its surrounding communities. As the communities have evolved, St. James has continued to grow and expand to meet the needs of all it serves. With the development of four outpatient primary and specialty care facilities to serve patients in Chicago Heights, Beecher, Monee, and their surrounding communities, St. James' ministry of care extended beyond its physical setting at 1423 Chicago Road.

Realizing that hospital stays were becoming shorter than ever, St. James began offering Home Care Services. To ease the transition from hospital to home recovery, Home Care Services provides a comprehensive program to address the basic as well as most sophisticated, high-tech needs of the patient.

In 1996, a $2.1-million Emergency Room renovation/addition was completed to better accommodate the increased volume of ER patients. That same year, St. James joined forces with the Cook County Department of Public Health and the Chicago Heights, Homewood, and Matteson Rotaries to create the Family Health Society, a clinic to serve the area's working poor, uninsured and underinsured.

Patient-Focused Improvements
The comfort of the patient is what St. James had in mind when it installed an Open MRI unit at its Community Health Center of Mokena in 1997. Unlike the closed MRI, patients have a clear view of the room throughout the exam and an atmosphere in which they can easily communicate with the technologist. MRI provides a technique for viewing specific organs inside the body and is an effective, non-invasive tool for diagnosis.

Over the years, the philosophy that pain isn't treatable has changed along with the options available to treat pain. Striving to provide patients with the full-spectrum of care, Comprehensive Pain Management at St. James was introduced in 1999. Lead by a team of specialists, Comprehensive Pain Management utilizes the most recent advancements and state-of-the-art treatment techniques to precisely target and treat the origin of a patient's pain.

The Dawn of a New Century
In January 2000, the Sisters of St. Francis Health Services, Inc.-St. James' corporate sponsor- acquired Olympia Fields Regional Osteopathic Medical Center. The acquisition reinforced St. James' commitment to providing comprehensive, easily accessible healthcare to a broader community base in Chicago's South Suburbs. In addition to enhanced healthcare services, the primary advantage afforded by a two-hospital system is the opportunity for patients to access a unique blend of two philosophies of medical care -- allopathic (M.D.) and osteopathic (D.O.) medicine. The acquisition has enhanced the collaboration between physicians in both medical disciplines to benefit individuals and families cared for at both campuses.

That same year, St. James debuted its newly renovated birth center at its Chicago Heights campus. Renamed "The Lullaby Birthplace," the center boasts a "family-centered" philosophy of care and enhancements to accommodate every need, from a couples' first thoughts of pregnancy to the growing pains of parenthood. The unit offers 10 private Labor/Delivery/Recovery/Post-Partum rooms, including two VIP suits with whirlpools for relaxation and pain relief.

In 2001, St. James introduced the "patient care unit of the future," when it opened the doors to its newly renovated 3-South unit. Gone were the bare, white, institutional-looking walls that left visitors wondering which way to turn. In their place, an inviting curved etched glass entrance that leads visitors precisely where they need to go. With its 18 private and six semi-private rooms, 3-South is a unit that was designed with a combination of patient-, family- and staff-friendly attributes.

With the opening of the St. James Health and Wellness Institute in March, people across the Chicago Southland were given the opportunity to get a personalized prescription for a healthier lifestyle. The St. James Health and Wellness Institute is housed within the Fitness Complex, a 64,000-square-foot facility that resulted from a community partnership between St. James Hospital and Health Centers, the Chicago Heights Park District and Prairie State College. Everyone who joins the St. James Health and Wellness Institute gets a personal one-on-one health assessment and can choose from a wide range of exercise equipment, fitness classes and other amenities.

Planning for the Future
In the spirit of the Sisters of St. Francis who founded St. James, we anticipate the future and the challenges that await us in this new century. Over the next few years, St. James will dedicate resources to major renovations and new construction to meet the challenges of an ever-changing healthcare industry and achieve our vision of becoming the number one healthcare provider in all markets we serve.

"The Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration have been consistent in their dedication and commitment to the Chicago Heights community and the surrounding areas," says Peter J. Murphy, president and CEO. "We are listening to our communities, we are listening to our physicians and employees and we are responding. Our plans for growth and development over the next five years show our continued commitment and desire to provide the best healthcare to individuals and families today and for future generations."

NEW WOMEN’S UNIT AND NEWLY RENOVATED LULLABY BIRTHPLACE SCHEDULED TO OPEN JANUARY 15

St. James Women’s Unit will offer privacy, comfort and innovative nurse-driven model of care to women patients

January, 2004 – Olympia Fields, IL – Upon opening on January 15, the new Women’s Unit at St. James Hospital and Health Centers’ Olympia Fields campus will offer privacy and comfort to women hospitalized for hysterectomies, breast surgery or other procedures predominate to females. The unit will feature a new, innovative nurse-driven model of care designed to provide better continuity of care to patients. The newly remodeled Lullaby Birthplace brings family-centered labor and delivery services back to the Olympia Fields campus.

Consisting of eight private beds, the new Women’s Unit will have soft, feminine décor and feature a centrally located nurse alcove and family kitchen. "We are focusing on providing family-centered care in all of our women’s and children’s units," said Robin Schroeder, R.N., director of women’s and children’s services. "Along with the Lullaby Birthplaces and our Children’s Corner pediatrics unit, the Women’s Unit can accommodate family visits and overnight stays."

Innovative nurse-driven model of care will be led by a clinical care coordinator

A clinical care coordinator will lead care teams under a new, innovative nurse-driven model of care. This experienced individual will oversee and coordinate the care of a designated group of patients to ensure continuity throughout the duration of their stay. Patients will benefit from having the same nursing team every day. By working with the same patients each day, the nursing team will become more effective patient advocates when communicating to physicians.

Drawing on her experience and critical thinking skills, the clinical care coordinator will assist with admission assessments, develop and manage care plans, and communicate and round with physicians to obtain admitting orders and changes in orders.

New unit latest enhancement to Women’s and Children’s Program

The new Women’s Unit is the latest enhancement St. James has made to better serve women and children. The newly renovated Lullaby Birthplace at the Olympia Fields campus and the Lullaby Birthplace at the Chicago Heights campus provide a family-centered labor and delivery environment for new mothers and babies. The Children’s Corner is a 20-bed unit designed to make a child’s hospital stay feel as much like home as possible. The hospital unit encourages family stays and sleepovers, with a family room, kitchen, sleep chairs and rollaway beds, and features a state-of-the-art playroom. The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Chicago Heights campus provides 24/7 care to high-risk mothers and infants, with full-time neonatologists on staff, along with physicians with board certification in both pediatrics and internal medicine