Employees from Silver Cross Women and Infant Services Birthing Center along with their families participated in the 2013 March of Dimes 3.2 mile March for Babies in Joliet on April 21. Pictured from left to right in the back row are: Kelly Zernia, CNA/UC; Tara Heninger, CNA/UC; her mother Dona Grassity (birth doula), Julie Bright-Allott, R.N.; Cindy Lanham, R.N.; Vicki Ricketts, R.N.; her sister Valerie Faletti; Jackie Boyles; Melissa Drews, R.N.; and Ceci Hall, R.N.

Along with several hundred families and business leaders, the Silver Cross Women and Infant Services Birthing Center employees and their families participated in the 2013 March of Dimes 3.2 mile March for Babies on April 21 at Joliet West High School in Joliet. This annual walk March for Babies is the nation’s oldest walk fundraiser honoring babies born healthy and those who need help to survive and thrive. The Silver Cross team received recognition as the Top Corporate Team by raising $2,245 for the 2013 March of Dimes Walk.

By walking in March for Babies, participants give hope to the more than half a million babies born too soon each year. The money raised supports community programs that help moms have healthy full-term pregnancies. And it funds research to find answers to the problems that threaten our babies. Supporters of March Dimes have been walking since 1970 and have raised an incredible $2 billion to benefit all babies.

Funds raised by March for Babies in Illinois help support community service, education, prenatal wellness programs, research grants, newborn intensive care unit (NICU) family support programs and advocacy efforts to help improve the health of the nation’s mothers and babies.

The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide and its premier event, March for Babies, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For the latest resources and information, visit www.marchofdimes.com  or www.nacersano.org.

About the new Silver Cross Women and Infant Birthing Center

Silver Cross has brought together cutting-edge medical technology with spa-like amenities to make the birthing experience all the more memorable. On Feb. 26, 2012, the new Birthing Center opened at the Silver Cross Replacement Hospital located at I-355 and Route 6 in New Lenox. The Center has 12 luxurious birthing suites designed for labor, delivery and recovery so parents can have the convenience of staying in the same room through recovery followed by a stay in one of 30 private mother-baby suites.  Each private suite is fully-equipped with a bathroom with a shower and immersion tub to help with labor pains, blanket warmer, refrigerator, wireless internet access, 30” flat screen TV system, and a comfortable sofa-sleeper so family members can stay around the clock.

Furthermore, a variety of pain relief methods are available 24 hours a day provided by an anesthesiologist.  And for deliveries requiring surgery, there are two complete cesarean suites.  Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital neonatologists and pediatric hospitalist continue to be onsite 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. And if needed, Children’s pediatric cardiologists are available to analyze a baby’s echocardiogram in real time through a video linkage with Silver Cross. For more information about the new Silver Cross Women and Infant Birthing Center, visit www.silvercross.org.  For a referral to an obstetrician/gynecologist or pediatrician on staff at Silver Cross, visit www.silvercross.org or call 1-888-660-HEAL.

In 2012, Silver Cross Hospital gave $80,000 in healthcare scholarships to 125 recipients residing in 60432, 60433, 60436 and the Fairmont Grade School District #89. Pictured are scholarship recipients from the Hispanic/Latino Coalition of Will and Grundy Counties.

According to a recent report, in 2012 Silver Cross Hospital provided over $47 million in community benefit.  Over $10.3 million was in straight charity care in which Silver Cross does not expect payment from patients.  An additional $29 million in uncompensated services was given through the government’s Medicare and Medicaid programs.   Plus, nearly 40% of all patients treated in the Silver Cross Emergency Department in 2012 were uninsured or on public aid.

“Silver Cross has shown yet again that it is committed to caring for everyone in our community, regardless of whether or not a person can afford to pay for it,” said Margie Woods, Chairperson of the Silver Cross Healthy Community Commission—a not-for-profit group of local leaders devoted to improving access to healthcare, workforce development and redevelopment of Silver Cross Hospital’s eastside Joliet campus.

Pledge to Provide Free Care

In 2008, the Hospital pledged to provide at least $4 million a year for ten years in charity care to serve the poor and uninsured in Will County.  This was the first $40 million charity commitment made by any hospital in the State of Illinois.  In the past five years, Silver Cross has already given out almost $40.1 million in free care to Will County patients.   That number reflects the actual cost of health care provided free of charge to patients. It does not include shortfalls in payments from the state’s Medicaid program for the poor or the Medicare program for seniors and disabled citizens.  These programs only cover a fraction of Silver Cross Hospital’s cost for treating patients.

Silver Cross provides financial assistance to patients who maintain a household income up to 200% above the Federal Poverty Level.  In addition, the hospital provides a 40% discount off of charges to all uninsured patients.  Applications for assistance are available by contacting the Patients Accounts Department at (815) 300-7087.  English and Spanish speaking financial counselors are available.

“We want to make sure everyone in our community has access to quality health care regardless of a patient’s income or insurance status,” said Paul Pawlak, President and CEO of Silver Cross Hospital.  “As a not-for-profit health care provider, we take our mission seriously and are committed to providing quality care to all our patients and the community.”

Subsidized Services, Screenings and Scholarships

In addition to charity care and government-sponsored indigent care, Silver Cross gave more than $7.5 million in other community benefit last year which included free and subsidized health services, programs and screenings to more than 35,000 people in Will County. 

“More than 3,800 people took advantage of free or discounted heart screenings, mammograms, and other important prevention and diagnostic tests last year,” said Pawlak. “By partnering with local churches, community centers and schools, we were able to get out to the people who are most at risk for chronic and debilitating diseases.”

Silver Cross is also helping to save lives serving as the resource hospital for the area’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system.  Silver Cross gave over $520,000 to provide paramedic training, continuing education, and monitoring of ambulance services in Will and Grundy counties. 

In addition to providing funding to educate first-responders, through the Silver Cross Healthy Community Commission, the Hospital also awarded over $240,000 in healthcare-related scholarships, workforce development grants and quality of life initiatives.  Over 125 individuals associated with local organizations such as Joliet Community Action Network’s Male Mentoring Program, NAACP, Hispanic/Latino Coalition, Community Service Council and the Harvey Brooks Foundation were beneficiaries of Silver Cross’ investment in the community.

Silver Cross is also helping to increase the quality of life in Will County by partnering with the National Hook-up of Black Women to promote literacy.  Over the past few years, the Hospital donated funding, furniture, computers and held several book drives to establish four Reading Rooms on the eastside of Joliet.  At the Reading Room, children and parents are able to swap, borrow or take a book to keep in their own personal libraries. 

“It has been proven that reading is the foundation to all future success,” said Lou Ann Johnson, President of Joliet’s National Hook-Up of Black Women. “Unfortunately children who fall behind at an early age never make up the educational gap and illiteracy limits their future employment options. The NHBW & Silver Cross Reading Rooms provide children in daycare through grade school an opportunity to get books and enjoy the adventures of reading, while increasing their literacy level.”

“Through our donation to the Reading Room, we are ensuring healthier lifestyles for the residents in the communities we serve,” said Pawlak. “Increasing children’s literacy levels empowers them to make better life choices related to nutrition, family and career goals.”

To learn more about the Reading Room and other ways Silver Cross is providing benefit to the Community, click here for a copy of the 2012 Community Benefit Report or contact Leslie Newbon, Senior Community Relations Coordinator at (815) 300-1096.

Dr. Nahla Meri, co-director of the Center of Excellence for Minimally Invasive Gynecology at Silver Cross Hospital, performed the first single-incision hysterectomy using the daVinci robot on Colleen O’Hara of New Lenox on May 13. Silver Cross is one of only 15 hospitals in the nation offering this procedure with virtually scarless results.

Today, Dr. Nahla Mehri performed a hysterectomy through one tiny incision in the belly button using a robot.  This new, innovative procedure called Single-Site™ daVinci® Hysterectomy is currently only available at 15 hospitals throughout the country including the new Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox.  Silver Cross is one of only four hospitals in the entire Midwest where skilled surgeons are using the daVinci robotic surgical system to perform hysterectomies through a single incision with virtually scarless results.

“Neither robotic surgery nor single-incision surgery is new, but combining the two to perform a hysterectomy requires additional training and special equipment,” says Dr. Merhi, Co-Director of the Center of Excellence for Minimally Invasive Gynecology at Silver Cross Hospital.  “To be one of the first hospitals in the U.S. to offer this technically advanced surgery demonstrates Silver Cross’ leadership in providing women with the most up-to-date minimally invasive surgical options.”

Dr. Nahla Merhi is one of a small group of gynecologists in the country who has received training to perform the surgery.  She has performed over 200 hysterectomies using the daVinci robot and is the first physician on staff at Silver Cross Hospital to perform the Single-Site daVinci Hysterectomy procedure.

“Single-Site instruments used with the daVinci platform are the next step in the evolution of surgical technologies,” Dr. Merhi said. “We are truly excited to be a leader today in the surgical treatment of tomorrow.”

Minimal Scarring—Faster Recovery

For most women, Single-Site daVinci hysterectomy offers virtually scarless results, minimal pain, low blood loss, fast recovery, a short hospital stay and high patient satisfaction. The surgery can be performed in about one hour with a typical hospital stay of less than 24 hours.

During the procedure, the surgeon sits comfortably at a console, viewing a 3D, high-definition image of the patient’s anatomy. The surgeon uses controls below the viewer to move the instrument arms and camera.  In real-time, the system translates the surgeon’s hand, wrist and finger movements into more precise movements of the miniaturized instruments inside the patient.

Unlike traditional robotic surgeries requiring three to five small incisions, this new technology allows for a single incision in the belly button.  Here, instruments are placed to treat chronic pain, heavy bleeding, non-cancerous fibroids, endometriosis, and prolapse by surgically removing the uterus, know as a hysterectomy.

Many women who require a hysterectomy are candidates for the robotic, single-incision surgery. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, hysterectomy is the second most common surgical procedure for women in the United States, and an estimated one-third of all women will have a hysterectomy by age 60.

Advanced Robotic Procedures in a New Hospital

In addition to Single-Site daVinci Hysterectomy, Silver Cross Hospital offers various types of robotic-assisted surgeries including Single-Site daVinci Cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal).  Since April 2012, 20 physicians on staff have performed nearly 400 robotic-assisted surgeries for urology, colorectal, digestive and gynecological diseases.

In November, Silver Cross was recently designated as a Center of Excellence in Minimally Invasive Gynecology (COEMIG) by the AAGL, the leading association of minimally invasive gynecologic surgeons worldwide, and Surgical Review Corporation (SRC).  Achieving the COEMIG designation signifies the Hospital’s ability to consistently deliver the safest, most advanced and comprehensive gynecologic surgical services to women across the region in a new, state-of-the-art 289 bed facility.  These patients are cared for in the Silver Cross Procedural Care Unit (PCU). The PCU is equipped with 11 state-of-the-art surgical suites specially designed for minimally invasive procedures, private pre and post procedure patient rooms, and a spacious lounge for family and friends. 

For a referral to a physician who performs Single-Site daVinci Hysterectomy or other robotic surgeries, call 1-888-660-HEAL (4325) or visit click here.

Ankle arthritis can be caused by a prior injury, wear and tear, deformity or acute inflammatory conditions such as Rheumatoid arthritis or infection.  When an ankle is injured, it is susceptible to many debilitating conditions such as increased inflammation in the joint and arthritis. Infections of the ankle joint can cause damage to the cartilage cells, restricting the ability to regenerate and eventually causing permanent damage to the joint.  Genetic pre-disposition to arthritis is not well understood but affects some individuals uniquely, causing their joints to wear out faster than others.

Pain associated with ankle arthritis is one of the most frequent reasons patients seek medical treatment by an orthopaedic specialist.  “If you are experiencing severe ankle pain or restricted movement from arthritis in your ankle, you may be a candidate for an ankle replacement,” says Dr. Robyn Vargo, board certified orthopaedic surgeon on staff at Silver Cross Hospital. “Ankle joint replacement is one of the most successful treatment options for disabling ankle arthritis, as it helps to relieve pain, restore motion and get you back to enjoying normal, everyday activities.  Since its inception over 30 years ago, there have been tremendous advances made in this procedure.”

Similar to total hip or knee replacement total, Dr. Vargo says ankle replacement surgery removes the damaged cartilage joint and surrounding bone from the ankle joint and then filling the gap with artificial components that restore ankle motion.  After completing ankle replacement surgery and a structured rehabilitation program, patients are able to return to their daily activities pain free.

Learn More at Free Program May 7

If you suffer from debilitating ankle pain caused by arthritis or cartilage injury, join Dr. Robyn Vargo, orthopaedic surgeon with Hinsdale Orthopaedics, to learn about the benefits of total ankle replacement surgery. This free program will be held Tuesday, May 7, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Silver Cross Hospital Conference Center, Pavilion A, 1890 Silver Cross Blvd., New Lenox. Click here to register to attend at or call 1-888-660-HEAL (4325).

Dr. Robyn Vargo is one of the only surgeons in the Chicago area to specialize in total ankle replacements. She spent two decades of her life dancing with many well known dance troupes including Joffrey II Ballet in New York City. Accordingly, she brings a wealth of personal knowledge to the treatment of dance injuries.  She received her medical degree from Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Athens, Ohio followed by an orthopedic surgery residency at Brentwood Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio and a fellowship in adult reconstructive surgery of the foot and ankle at Centennial Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.

Dr. Vargo is also a member of several professional societies, including the American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopaedics and the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society.

Silver Cross recently recognized 39 physicians on the hospital’s medical staff for outstanding patient satisfaction in 2012.

“The Top Docs ranked in the top 1% compared to all other physicians throughout the country,” says Paul Pawlak, President/CEO of Silver Cross Hospital. “It is because of the service and care these doctors provide, Silver Cross has been selected for a Hospital of Choice by the American Alliance of Healthcare Providers for the past 8 years.”

According to our patients, these doctors rank in the Top 1% in the country for patient satisfaction:

In addition, these doctors rank in the Top 10% in the country for patient satisfaction:

Silver Cross regularly surveys all patients at the hospital and benchmarks its performance against over 2,000 hospitals using the Press Ganey patient satisfaction process.  As part of the survey, patients are asked to rank their physician on several indicators including the time the physician spent with the patient, the physician’s concern for patients’ questions and worries, how well he/she kept the patient informed, friendliness and courtesy of the physician, and the skill of the physician.

For more information about these or any other physicians on staff at Silver Cross, visit www.silvercross.org or call 1-888-660-HEAL (4325).  Physicians on Silver Cross Hospital’s Medical Staff provide care to patients in Will, Grundy and Southwest Cook County.  These specialized and highly trained physicians are not employees of Silver Cross Hospital. They determine independently, based on their training and experience, the appropriate medical care for each patient.  Their services are separate from the charges for hospital facilities and support staff and are billed separately by the physician or medical group with which the physician is affiliated.

The Community Service Council of Will County recently awarded the 2013 Outstanding Individual In Human Services Award to Margie Woods, Chair of the Silver Cross Healthy Community Commission, at the Community Service Council of Will County’s 74^th Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet on April 18 at the Jacob Henry Victorian Ball Room in Joliet.

“Margie Woods is well-deserving of the Outstanding Individual in Human Service Award,” said Paul Pawlak, President/Chief Executive Officer for Silver Cross Hospital. “She has unselfishly committed her life to the service of others with a proven record of significant contributions that have improved the quality of life of the many residents of Will County. She leads by example and is a positive role model for future generations.”

The Annual Outstanding Individual in Human Services Award honors individuals in the community who have given outstanding service to the community.

“Life is about Service,” said Margie Woods, Chair of the Silver Cross Healthy Community Commission. “I thank Silver Cross Hospital for nominating me and the Community Service Council for selecting me.”

A lifelong resident of Joliet, Margie has faithfully served her community for over 5 decades.  A champion for improving the quality of life for all Will County residents, she served as a member of the Will County Board from 1980 to 1998.  In 2001, Margie was selected by her party colleagues to be the minority leader. During her tenure on the County Board, she was actively involved in efforts to foster economic growth ensuring jobs for residents.   She was also involved with the National Association of County Officials, serving as Vice Chair of NACO’s Labor and Employment Steering Committee, and in the area of workforce development with the Coalition of Black Trade Unions.

In addition to representing the needs of her constituents, Margie volunteered her time and talents serving on the United Way Allocation Committee, Senior Services of Will County Board of Directors, and Habitat for Humanity Advisory Board.  She is also active with the Forest Park Community Center, National Hook-up of Black Women, and St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church.

With an amazing record of civil and community service, Margie continues to give back by serving as an advocate for the betterment of the community—specifically those with the greatest need.  In fact, when Silver Cross Hospital announced its relocation in 2007, Margie was one of the first to publicly support the Hospital’s decision.  She knew that this was the right move for the hospital in order for Will County residents to continue to receive quality health care close to home.  However, with the outcry of community concern about the hospital’s relocation, Margie met with Silver Cross administrators asking for their assistance in creating a stronger, healthier future for the neighborhood which had suffered from lack of economic development over the past decades.  In 2008, Margie brought in other eastside Joliet leaders to work with the Hospital to form the Silver Cross Healthy Community Commission—a 501(c)3.  The Commission’s initial focus was on campus redevelopment but soon expanded its scope on work force initiatives, job training, scholarships and healthcare access. 

Under Margie’s leadership as Chairperson, over the past 5 years the Silver Cross Healthy Community Commission has led the Veteran’s Administration to open a mega-outpatient clinic for area Veterans in the former Silver Cross Emergency Department. This facility opened March 11, 2013.  Margie also made sure that Silver Cross fulfilled its promise to the community that convenient medical services would continue to be available in the neighborhood by bringing in Aunt Martha’s to open a federally qualified healthcare center on the old hospital campus.  Called the Joliet Community Health Center, this 20,000 square foot facility will open in the spring of 2013 providing medical, dental and behavioral health services to the area’s poor and underinsured.

Furthermore, with Margie’s direction, since 2008 the Silver Cross Healthy Community Commission has given a total of $1.25 million in healthcare and construction scholarships and grants to numerous eastside Joliet residents and organizations such as:

•          Community Service Council of Will County

•          Coalition of Black Trades Union

•          Delta Sigma Theta and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sororities

•          Harvey Brooks Foundation

•          Hispanic/Latino Coalition of Will and Grundy Counties

•          Joliet Community Action Network Male Mentoring Program

•          Joliet Junior College

•          NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)

•          National Hook-up For Black Women

•          Spanish Center

•          Warren Sharp Center