Gottlieb Memorial Hospital's Renovated and Expanded Emergency Department Opens

MELROSE PARK, IL – Gottlieb Memorial Hospital’s renovated and expanded emergency department opens today, May 5, 2020. The expansion will accommodate an increase in daily patient visits and future growth to meet the needs of Melrose Park and surrounding communities. Gottlieb is a member of Loyola Medicine, which includes Loyola University Medical Center and MacNeal Hospital.

The $15.8 million project is made possible by the Gottlieb Memorial Foundation under the leadership of chairman Jack Weinberg. Mr. Weinberg’s grandparents, David and Dorothy Gottlieb, along with other community leaders, founded Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in 1961.

His parents, Marjorie and Judd Weinberg, and uncle, Alvin Gottlieb, were all original and lifetime members of Gottlieb Memorial Hospital’s Board.

The new Judd A. Weinberg Emergency Department at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital is named for Mr. Weinberg’s father. Jack Weinberg describes his family’s motivation for opening the hospital as "a sense of civic pride, concern for the well-being of others and desire to give back."

"An emergency department is the lifeblood of a community and a critical access point for lifesaving care," said Weinberg. "It is an honor to be part of such an important project that will continue saving lives and supporting families for many years to come."

The emergency department is prepared to see more than 30,000 patients annually and accommodate increased ambulance traffic from nearby neighborhoods; additional ambulance bays have been added.

"We are grateful for the Weinberg family's longstanding commitment to Gottlieb Memorial Hospital," said Shawn P. Vincent, president and CEO of Loyola Medicine. "The Gottlieb Memorial Foundation is a continuous source of support for innovation and expansion to meet the evolving needs of the community."

With a focus on efficient care, bedside registration was incorporated into the new design. The space has new accommodations for geriatric, bariatric, substance abuse and psychiatric patients including larger doorways, anxiety-reducing design and safety elements that benefit all patients. In addition, the Gottlieb Memorial Hospital Auxiliary is supporting this project through the installation of patient lifts in the Emergency Department to prevent injuries to patients and staff.

Important features of the renovation include improved safety and security to ensure a comfortable patient experience and a safe workplace. Increased outdoor lighting, a 24/7 staffed security post, improved visibility throughout the department, natural lighting and slip- and glare-free flooring. Private exam and triage rooms, as well as a “results pending” area, offer comfortable chairs and televisions for patients who don’t require a hospital bed while waiting for test results.

Walsh Construction was the general contractor on the project.

Alan Goldberg, a 40-year Gottlieb employee who retired as vice president of administrative services, helped with the planning and execution of this project on behalf of the Gottlieb Memorial Foundation.

Gottlieb Memorial Hospital is a 24/7-bed acute care hospital in Melrose Park that offers advanced specialty, emergency, inpatient and outpatient medical care in a community hospital setting. The hospital’s level II trauma center delivers high-quality acute care to adults and children 24 hours a day. The clinical staff is skilled in advanced cardiac care, and all staff nurses are certified in advanced cardiac life support.

The Gottlieb Memorial Foundation has pledged $31 million to Gottlieb since the hospital joined Loyola Medicine in 2009. Projects include remodeling the Alvin J. Gottlieb Intensive Care Unit, converting double occupancy patient rooms to private, upgrading the Marjorie G. Weinberg Cancer Center including a pharmacy installation, remodeling a second floor waiting area and building-out the mammography suite.

Gottlieb Memorial Hospital is located at 701 W. North Avenue in Melrose Park, IL.