Our Beginning
On December 5, 2007, Midwest Medical Center became the first replacement Critical Access Hospital to open its doors in the State of Illinois. While the new facility took 12 months to build, the four year journey has been most rewarding.
Prior to being Midwest Medical Center, we were known as Galena-Stauss Hospital & Healthcare Center, a 45 year old 18-bed, Critical Access facility unable to expand and improve our medical services due to building challenges and landlocked location.
We are proud to offer uncompromised care, close to home to all those living or visiting the Tri-State area. Midwest Medical Center is a Planetree affiliate and our organization was the first in Illinois to partner with the Planetree organization in July 2004. Key to our replacement hospital design was the integration of Planetree’s core components into every aspect of the facility. To do so, our hospital leadership assembled a team of experts to help accomplish our goal. Every detail of Midwest Medical Center fully embraces the Planetree philosophy of patient-centered care.
Upon entering the front doors, you are immediately taken in by the warm colors, rich woods, soothing sconce lighting, vaulted ceilings and life-size windows that point to the blue Midwestern sky. Every place your eyes land, there is a healing element before you. From the water feature that keeps children entertained and gives parents a needed diversion, to the bubbling copper fountain in the healing garden, you immediately feel that you are in a place where you will be cared for. The self-playing mahogany baby grand piano provides mood-elevating audio, while the majestic ceramic-tiled staircase that leads to the family-room, encourages visitors and staff to climb rather than riding the elevators. Patient suites are private, warm and comforting, with windows that offer a magnificent view and a place for family to rest. In-room dining with a wide variety of cuisine, flat screen televisions and carefully designed panels to hide medical gas controls are just a few of the features that help to transform the patient experience.
In the design phase of the project, physicians, nurses and allied health professionals were invited to provide their ideas for making Midwest Medical Center the optimal environment in which to practice medicine. The incorporation of their ideas are a shining example of how vitally important it is to focus on the needs of care providers in their efforts to provide patient-centered care. Among the outcomes from this collaboration include operating suites with windows to offer natural light, a sound-system to which surgeons can connect their MP3 players, an alternative paging method to the traditional overhead system, a comfortable spacious physician room in close proximity to medical records, and an emergency physicians suite that promotes rest and comfort when breaks are well-deserved and needed.
Features such as the state-of-the-art Fitness Center, Resource Library, Meditation Suite, Whispering Willow Gifts and Vista Café attract community members to visit the facility for reasons other than illness. From a hospital that required patients to walk a long dark corridor to use the bathing facilities, to a truly beautiful compassionate and patient focused medically advanced facility, we welcome and invite you to take full advantage of what Midwest Medical Center has to offer.
