Ornate stained-glass displays.A new chapter in healthcare delivery has begun in Lake County, now that construction is complete and services have begun at the new Franciscan Health Crown Point hospital.
Work started on the project back in 2020. Over the last few years, residents of the Crown Point area and motorists traveling along the I-65 highway or U.S. 231 have steadily watched as the large facility grew floor by floor with each passing month.
What passers-by may not have noticed, however, were the innovative construction methods that were implemented on this project. The lead contractor, Tonn and Blank Construction, implemented industrialized construction methods where many rooms were completely built and finished elsewhere before delivery to the hospital site. This gave contractors greater control over these aspects of construction.
The company used an off-site construction facility to build rooms like bathrooms, exam rooms, as well as mechanical components and infrastructure like headwalls. Then, these rooms and other components were transported to the hospital and installed like building blocks.
“This impressive structure has been more than three years in the making since ground was broken in September 2020. Our partners at Tonn and Blank Construction have brought this project in on schedule despite all the challenges of the pandemic and supply chain disruption. Not to mention some minor changes to work orders like an additional floor on both sides of the building, two additional operating rooms, and a few others. Their ingenuity and fortitude were tested, and they delivered,” said Franciscan Health Crown Point President & CEO Daniel McCormick, MD.
Advanced Healthcare
Medical imaging room.The new, roughly $200 million hospital is packed with the latest advanced healthcare technology, and it’s designed to grow based on the needs of the region. Currently, the seven-story building has 199 rooms, but it can be expanded to 300 in the future.
The building has a large emergency department, various imaging departments, surgical areas, an intensive care unit that offers private rooms, and areas for pre- or post-operative services. One of the surgical suites is a hybrid operating room equipped with advanced imaging technology used for treating cardiac patients. It features robotic surgery capabilities along with high-tech endovascular care.
The new neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) offers private rooms for families and some of the latest technology available for newborn care.
Outside, the campus has nearly 1,000 parking spaces, a helicopter pad, and an emergency entrance for ambulances. Engineers that worked on the project described the main entrance as an airport-style installation that ensures easy drop-offs and pickups for patients and visitors.
The facility also has a chapel and a stained-glass window display in the lobby that builders relocated from the chapel in the former Franciscan Health Hammond hospital.
Other Projects on the Way
The new emergency department at Franciscan Health Crown Point.Franciscan Health has several other major developments in the works that relate to the new Crown Point hospital’s completion.
For starters, the older Main Street hospital in Crown Point, built in 1974 and known to many in the region as St. Anthony, will now be known as Franciscan Health Main St. Outpatient Center, A Division of Franciscan Health Crown Point. It will continue to house a variety of outpatient services.
The nonprofit healthcare ministry will also soon be establishing the new 71,000-square-foot, three-story Dean and Barbara White Cancer Center on the campus of the new Crown Point hospital. This state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment center will consolidate existing cancer care services into one convenient location and is scheduled to open in early 2026.
The center will be funded, in part, by a $30 million gift from the Dean and Barbara White Family Foundation. It was the largest donation ever received by the Franciscan Health Foundation.
Generational Development
Back when the new hospital project first began, officials referred to it as a “generational development” for Northwest Indiana, and that will likely prove to be very true. In addition to the campus’s ability to serve the healthcare needs of the region for decades, this project will also spur considerable investment in the surrounding area and could serve as a major draw for talented employees. Economically and medically, this facility might just turn out to be a new jewel for Lake County’s profile.
Construction Partners for the Franciscan Health Crown Point Hospital Project
