New Birthing Center Features

Anyone with a little one on its way needs to find a birthing center nearby. Elgin area’s Sherman Hospital will have a new birthing center packed with features all expectant parents want. Plus, Sherman Hospital will continue its partnership with Children’s Memorial Hospital, so you can be sure your baby is getting the best care possible. Some exciting new features include:

• All private rooms with showers, and most with lake-views
• 10 labor/delivery/recovery rooms
• 23 postpartum rooms

15-Acre Geothermal Lake Operational

For the last few years, the geothermal lake at the new Sherman Hospital site has been a large topic of discussion in the community and around the country. The lake will be used to heat and cool our new hospital, and save an estimated $1 million per year in energy costs.

Construction of the geothermal lake system was completed last summer, and the lake became operational for the first time at the end of April.

“Although the new hospital will not open until December, we activated the lake now so we have time to test and balance the system and make sure enough heat and cooling is distributed in the new building,” says Dawn Stoner, Project Coordinator at Sherman Hospital.

Our 15-acre geothermal lake is the only geothermal lake in Illinois and one of only two lakes currently heating and cooling medical centers in the U.S. In addition to saving an estimated $1 million per year in energy costs, the lake is safe, and the energy produced is a renewable resource that does not create greenhouse gases or pollution.

Sherman Awarded Grant for Geothermal Lake

Sherman Hospital Received Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation Grant.

Sherman Hospital was awarded a $400,000 grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation for its geothermal lake project at the new Sherman Hospital campus.

The Foundation supports projects to improve energy efficiency and develop renewable energy resources throughout Illinois. Overall, the foundation has awarded over $6 million in grants to advance the use of geothermal in Illinois. The Sherman Hospital grant is the foundation’s largest individual award to support a geothermal system.

Sherman was notified of the grant in 2006, and has received portions of the funding throughout the construction process. The grant will off-set a portion of the incremental construction cost of Sherman’s geothermal system, and to educate the community on geothermal energy.

“Illinois Clean Energy applauds and looks to Sherman’s leadership. By constructing the largest geothermal system in the state to provide its new building with conditioned air, Sherman Hospital is setting a “green” benchmark for how hospitals and large institutional energy users can cool and heat their facilities in an environmentally friendly way,” says Bob Romo,  Senior Program Officer, Illinois Clean Energy Foundation.

Construction Update for the Future of Sherman Health

Sherman Health’s new hospital continues to make progress.  Here are our most recent construction updates:

Patient Tower
1.      Punch list activities continue on L2
2.      Carpet is being installed for the first 6 floors
3.      Ceilings are going in on Level 2 & Level 3

Foundation Seeks Photography Submissions for New Patient Rooms

The Sherman Hospital Foundation is calling on local and regional artists to submit photography for placement consideration in patient rooms at the new hospital.

Our new, state-of-the-art facility incorporates elements of nature in its design to help create a tranquil environment and promote patient healing. The Foundation is seeking works of photography for patient rooms that will fit in to this natural design as it supports the process of healing and contributes to positive patient outcomes.

“While many patients will have a peaceful view of the lake from their window as they recover in their beds, we want to offer the community a chance to be involved in enhancing the healing experience by submitting their photographed nature views of the outdoors,” says Jennifer Tscherney, Executive Director of Sherman Health’s Foundation. “We will give priority to scenes from the greater Fox Valley region and offer recognition for the photographers on the pieces that are selected.”