Throughout Illinois, hospitals have expanded and been renovated. But Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital has the distinction of being the first new hospital in Illinois in 25 years.

"We are proud to be the vehicle God chose to extend the healing ministry of Christ to Bolingbrook, Illinois," said Isaac Palmer, chief executive officer of the hospital. "Everyone is highly anticipating our grand opening this December."

Construction will be completed in early October, followed by approximately two months of inspections, moving in, training, and mock patient drills.

"We're working on one of the most exciting aspects of our future—building the medical staff and recruiting for key management positions," Isaac said. "To be able to build a new facility and then fill it with the best physicians and staff is truly rewarding."

The new hospital will focus on women's, emergency, and surgical services, and the hospital's surgical suites will be the most state-of-the-art in the area. A medical office building will open in April 2008, and will house the hospital's physician specialists as well as the Women's Center with mammography, bone density, and ultrasound.

The hospital's exterior will appear modern, but the interior will showcase colors and patterns from nature, which have been shown to be warm and soothing. To further the idea of "natural" design, the ground floor materials are browns and tans to indicate the earth, the middle floors use green colors to signify plants and trees, and the upper floor is blue for the sky.

"Just walking through the hospital will connect patients and visitors to the beauty of God's creation," Isaac said.

The hospital recently benefited from the generosity of Forest City Enterprises, which opened a new retail center in Bolingbrook. A special grand opening event took place, and the developer, along with Macy's department store, donated all the proceeds, more than $400,000, to support a new children's emergency department.

"When our first patient is admitted on December 2, we'll know the power of His hand will be felt in the touch of ours," Isaac said. "Christ focused on the needs of people who were desperate for a healing touch. We'll use whole-person care and spiritual encouragement to revolutionalize healthcare and continue His mission."

Julie Busch is a public relations specialist at Adventist Midwest Health.