- Riverside Medical Center
Established in 1964, Riverside Medical Center serves the south suburban counties of Chicago as a not-for-profit medical facility. Riverside currently has three medical campuses serving Kankakee, Bourbonnais, and Coal City, IL as well as nine Community Health Centers serving areas within Kankakee, Will, Iroquois and Grundy Counties. Riverside Medical Center is nationally recognized for its specialty programs in
cardiac surgery ,obstetrics , trauma,oncology , rehabilitation,geriatrics ,occupational health , treatment of alcohol and chemical dependency and psychiatric services. For its heart and oncology programs, Riverside partners withRush University Medical Center in Chicago. The Riverside Medical CenterKankakee Campus houses a 336-bed hospital that provides a full scope ofinpatient andoutpatient care. The Emergency Department is designated as a Level II Trauma Center and a Resource Hospital by the Illinois Department of Public Health. Kankakee is also home to Riverside's senior living community featuring active independent living, assisted living, 24-hour skilled nursing care andAlzheimer's care.History
In 1958 the only Kankakee, IL area hospital was overcrowded and inadequate to serve the growing need of the region. By December a Chamber of Commerce subcommittee, chaired by James G. Schneider recommended that a private non-profit foundation known as the Stewards Foundation be invited to build a 150-bed hospital in Kankakee. After unfilled promises and delays, the committee severed ties with the Stewards Foundation to build a 136-bed hospital funded by the community with aid from federal grants. The Hospital Committee continued under the leadership of James Schneider and it purchased seven acres of scenic land at Riverside’s present site from Burrell and Len Small who donated an additional three acres. A new campaign was brought to the community, 3 which embraced it with continued pledges. A Hill-Burton grant of $666,000 was the major gift.
After appealing to the community to submit name suggestions for the new facility, Kankakee County Hospital became Riverside Hospital in 1961. Construction began in May 1962 and Robert G.Miller was named Chief Executive Officer in January 1963.
Even before Riverside Hospital opened its doors, it was accepted into the Illinois Hospital Association and American Hospital Association. And in 1961, before the groundbreaking, 20 people attended the first organizational meeting of the Hospital Auxiliary. Mrs. Edgar Shipley served as first Auxiliary President and the organization boasted 575 auxilians by the time the hospital opened.
The 136-bed Riverside Hospital was dedicated January 12, 1964. An open house on January 11 drew 3,000 visitors, despite a Chicago-style blizzard. The doors officially opened on January 22 with 125 employees and 69 physicians. Within a month, there were 186 full-time employees and 40 working part-time.
In May 1965, Riverside purchased another 8.8 acres from the Small Family, and by year’s end, construction began on a three-story addition that not only expanded the Labor and Delivery area but also tripled the laundry capacity and doubled the X-ray department. With a newer, larger front entrance and lobby, the hospital also added 74 beds for a total of 210.
In 1966, the hospital received its first accreditation from the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Hospitals (since renamed the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations), a mark of excellence it has always maintained. A new eight-bed Intensive Care Unit opened with electronic patient monitoring and the Board approved a recommendation to develop a 30-bed Psychiatric Unit. A new Pediatric Unit, designed exclusively for children, opened in 1968.
During the late 1960s, Riverside Hospital collaborated with Olivet Nazarene University to provide the clinical training for a four-year nursing degree program and with Kankakee Community College to establish a two-year Associate Degree Nursing Program. Riverside Foundation was established in 1967 with Vernon Butz as President “to generate philanthropic support to enhance the availability and quality of the healthcare services provided by” the hospital.
In 1970, Riverside started construction of a $1 million addition, the first phase of a master plan. It was completed in 1971 with the opening of a new surgery suite and central sterile supply area and relocation of the Emergency Room. A year later, phase II of the plan brought a new coronary care unit to a now completed fifth floor as well as more room for diagnostic and ancillary services: new clinical lab, radiology suite, medical records, medical library, physical therapy unit and an enlarged maintenance and engineering plant.
On Riverside’s 15th anniversary in 1979, the hospital was renamed Riverside Medical Center to reflect Riverside’s growth from an inpatient facility to a comprehensive, multiple-service health organization for the community with 315 beds and 1,000 employees.
Riverside opened its first community center – Pembroke Community Health Center in Hopkins Park – with a focus on patient satisfaction in 1981. Additional Community Health Centers followed soon after in Momence.
Riverside’s Emergency Department was designated a Level II Trauma Center by the Illinois Department of Public Health in 1988. This designation guarantees the immediate availability of specialized surgeons, anesthesiologists, trauma nurse specialists and emergency medicine physicians with advanced trauma training 24 hours a day. The Emergency Department also holds EDAP (Emergency Department Approved for Pediatrics) designation. That means it has the skilled staff and age-appropriate equipment to treat children of all ages.
In 1988, Riverside set up its Sleep Laboratory. Sleep studies and services, previously provided only at university medical centers, were now available in the Kankakee community. Sleep studies identify the cause of a patient’s sleep disorder and help specialists determine the most effective means of treatment.
The Riverside Senior Living Center Corporation was established in 1989 and a 10-acre parcel was approved for development of an independent living center for senior adults.
Recognizing the need for a relationship with a Chicago-based healthcare delivery system, Riverside began the process of evaluating its options. In 1996, the affiliation with Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center (now Rush University Medical Center) became a reality. Through strong strategic and clinical ties, the Rush-Riverside relationship has produced lasting value for the people of the Kankakee Region.
Living options for seniors opened up with the construction of 90 senior independent living apartments at Westwood Oaks, 48 senior assisted living apartments at Butterfield Court and the opening of Miller Center, a 120-bed skilled nursing facility.
To make the benefits of health and wellness available to more area residents, Riverside built a state-of-the-art Health Fitness Center in 1997, with training equipment, an indoor track, swimming and exercise pools, climbing wall and much more.
In 1999, the Rush-Riverside Heart Center became a reality. A defining decision regarding Riverside’s future was to pursue the development of open-heart surgery. After five years of preparation and planning by Riverside leadership, the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board approved Riverside Medical Center’s request to do open-heart surgery in early 1999. The first procedure was performed in October 1999 and today, the program continues to grow with over 2,500 procedures annually in the Heart Catheterization Laboratory, and over 250 open-heart surgeries each year.
On March 15, 1999, at a railroad crossing in Bourbonnais, Amtrak’s City of New Orleans passenger train from Chicago collided with a truck transporting 22 tons of steel. The crash derailed 11 of the train’s 14 cars, plus two locomotives, One locomotive split, leaking diesel fuel that ignited the ront three cars.Within minutes, 35 ambulances and scores of police and firefighters arrived on the scene to help the train’s 214 passengers and 14 crew members; eleven died t the scene.
Riverside activated its Disaster Plan as soon as it got word of the crash.When the first ambulance arrived at Riverside’s Level II Trauma Center, physicians and nurses were at the door, ready with their gurneys and emergency medical supplies. Riverside accepted 52 patients, nine with life-threatening injuries, 18 with serious injuries and 21 non-urgent iinjuries; two patients required surgery.
In 2003 the Riverside Pavilion was built to make comprehensive services more convenient and accessible. adding more than 600 parking spaces and a new main entrance linked to Riverside Medical Center. The 115,000 sq. ft., 6-story facility is home to the Schneider Outpatient Center, Women’s Health Center, Rush-Riverside Cancer Institute and physicians’ offices. A temperature-controlled pedestrian walkway provides safe crossing over Wall Street in front of the Medical Center.
In June 2003, Riverside broke ground for the Betty Burch Bridgewater Center for Radiation Therapy. Dedicated to the memory of Mrs. Bridgewater, the Center was funded in part by a gift from the Bridgewater family and is part of the Rush-Riverside Cancer Institute, which delivers advanced cancer care and research to those impacted by cancer. The Riverside HealthCare Foundation also committed $3.5 million to the construction of the new Cancer Center and the volunteer Auxiliary committed $250,000 for a Cancer Education Center. The Center is a highly advanced facility that brings the latest cancer care technology to this area.
Accreditations & Affiliations
Collaborative working relationships and cultural exchange programs have been established between Riverside and RUSH University Medical Center bringing new treatment methodologies to patients. Rush-Riverside Heart Center and Rush-Riverside Cancer Institute are examples of two such collaborative efforts.
Affiliations
*American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging
*American Hospital Association
*American Red Cross Blood Bank
*Healthcare Forum Advisory Board
*Illinois Hospital Health Systems Association
*Illinois Pioneer Coalition
*Licensed by the Illinois Department of Public Health
*Life Services Network of Illinois
*Mather Institute of Chicago
*Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council
*Rush System for Health
*Voluntary Hospitals of America (VHA, Inc.)Accreditations
*American College of Radiology and Obstetrical General and Vascular Ultrasound and Mammography Services
*American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer as a Comprehensive Community Cancer Program
*American Diabetes Association
*American Medical Association through the Accreditation Committee of the Illinois State Medical *Society for Continuing Medical Education
*College of American Pathologists (CAP) for Laboratory Excellence
*Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF)
*Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organization (JCAHO)Awards & Accolades
Thomson 100 Top Hospital
2007 Thomson 100 Top Hospital [ [http://www.100tophospitals.com/winners/nationalwinners.aspx Thomson 100 Top Hospitals] ]
* 2007 Thomson 100 Top Hospital
* 2007 Thomson 100 Top Hospital, CardiovascularHealthGrades 2008
HealthGrades
*2008HealthGrades ® Distinguished Hospital Award for Patient SafetyTM (One of only four Illinois hospitals to receive this recognition three years in a row)
*Ranked Among the Top 5% Nationally for Patient Safety
*Ranked #1 in Illinois for Cardiac Surgery
*Ranked Among the Top 5 Hospitals in Illinois for Overall Cardiac Services
*Ranked Among the Top 5% in the Nation for Cardiac Surgery
*Ranked Among the Top 10% in the Nation for Overall Cardiac Services
*2008HealthGrades Cardiac Care Excellence AwardTM
*2008HealthGrades Cardiac Surgery Excellence AwardTM
*Five-Star Rating for Cardiac Surgery
*Five-Star Rating for Coronary Bypass Surgery seven years in a row
*Five-Star Rating for Treatment of Heart Failure2007
HealthGrades
*Ranked #1 in the South Chicago area for Cardiac Surgery
*Recipient of the 2007HealthGrades Cardiac Surgery Excellence AwardTM
*Ranked among the Top 5% in the Nation for Cardiac Surgery
*Five-star Rated for Excellence in Cardiac Surgery
*Five-Star Rated for the Treatment of Heart Failure
*Recipient of the 2007HealthGrades ® Distinguished Hospital Award for Patient SafetyTM2006
HealthGrades
*Ranked #1 in the South Chicago area for cardiac surgery
*Among only eleven hospitals in Illinois to receive the Patient Safety honor
*Five-star Rated for Excellence in Cardiac Surgery
*Recipient of the 2006HealthGrades ® Distinguished Hospital Award for Patient SafetyTM
*Ranked Among the Top 5% in the Nation for Patient Safety2005
HealthGrades
*Ranked #1 in the South Chicago area for Cardiac Surgery
*Ranked #3 in the state of Illinois for Cardiac Surgery
*Ranked among the Top 5% in the Nation for Cardiac Surgery
*Five-star Rated for Excellence in Cardiac Surgery2004
HealthGrades
*Five-star Rated for Excellence in Cardiac Surgery
*Five-star Rated for Hip Replacement Surgery2003
HealthGrades
*Five-star Rated for Excellence in Cardiac Surgery
*Five-star Rated for Hip Replacement Surgery2002
HealthGrades
*Five-star Rated for Excellence in Cardiac SurgeryCare Science
2006 Care Science
*Riverside Medical Center was named as a 2006 CareScience™ Select Practice National Quality Leader in the category of Cardiac Bypass Surgery. As a recipient of this award, Riverside Medical Center has achieved superior performance in care of patients in the disease group of Cardiac Bypass Surgery, as identified by the CareScience™ Select Practice methodology, which utilizes both quality and efficiency indices to track a hospital’s performance.ervices
Locations
Campuses
*Riverside Medical Center Kankakee Campus (Main) -
Kankakee, IL
*Riverside Medical Center Bourbonnais Campus -Bourbonnais, IL
*Riverside Medical Center West Campus -Coal City, IL Community Health Centers (
clinic s)*Bourbonnais Community Health Center -
Bourbonnais, IL
*East Court Kankakee Community Health Center -Kankakee, IL
*Manhattan Community Health Center -Manhattan, IL
*Manteno Community Health Center -Manteno, IL
*Momence Community Health Center -Momence, IL
*Monee Community Health Center -Monee, IL
*Pembroke Community Health Center -Pembroke, IL
*Peotone Community Health Center -Peotone, IL
*Wilmington Community Health Center -Wilmington, IL Ambulance Stations
*
Ashkum, IL
*Bradley, IL
*Momence, IL
*St. Anne, IL Other Locations
*Resolve Center -
Manteno, IL
*Betty Burch Bridgewater Center -Bourbonnais, IL
*Riverside Health Fitness Center -Bourbonnais, IL
*Senior Living Campus -Kankakee, IL
*Riverise Atrium -Bradley, IL
*Health Equipment Super Store -Kankakee, IL External Links
* [http://www.riversidemc.net/ Riverside Medical Center homepage]
* [http://www.riversidehfc.org/ Riverside Health Fitness Center]Resources
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