Rush Oak Park Hospital’s new 40,000-square-foot Emergency Department in Oak Park, Ill., features centralized team and support spaces with a shelled basement area for future hospital expansion. Built by Walsh Construction, the new facility was officially opened during a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by state and local elected officials, hospital executives, and employees.

The two-story structure contains 22 acute care exam rooms with five dedicated to fast track patients, two designed for behavioral patients, two for isolation patients, and one decontamination room.

According to Bruce Elegant, president and CEO of Rush Oak Park, the hospital is treating more than 37,000 patients a year, and the new emergency department is an upgrade from its 50-year-old predecessor that was designed to serve 15,000 patients per year.

The new addition is LEED Certifiable including 11,000 square feet of green roof, indoor water use reduction, optimized energy performance, and 92% of construction demolition and debris recycled and diverted from landfills.

Designed by Anderson Mikos Architects, the Emergency Department also features a new patient drop-off canopy, two new double-sided elevators, and a new ambulance canopy. The building was designed and constructed to allow for future vertical expansion.

Walsh Logistics, the activation provider within Walsh Construction, procured, furnished and installed all furnishings and medical equipment for the Emergency Department. Walsh Logistics also led hospital staff in move-in, training, and activation at the new building.