Group effort set to pay off at new medical center

Source: Peoria Journal Star
Date: Saturday, September 6, 2008

Peoria — A unique collaboration and years of work culminate this month as physicians and staff move into the new $28 million Illinois Medical Center on the campus of the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria.

The five-story, 122,000-square-foot building is owned by three private physician groups, sits on land owned by the state of Illinois and has a parking deck owned by the city.

Finding anything exactly like this collaboration anywhere in the country would be remote, said Stu Patty, administrator with Peoria Surgical Group, one of the physician group owners of the building.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime project for all of us,” Patty said. “There are so many unique aspects of this project.”

The three physician group owners are Peoria Surgical Group, Gastroenterology Ltd., which is changing its name to Illinois Gastroenterology Institute, and Illinois Lung Institute, which was formerly Peoria Pulmonary Associates. The groups are expected to be in the space by mid-September and will occupy the second, third and fifth floors.

Patty said the building operates like a condominium with seven different condominium units owned by five entities.

Eva Garrabrant, administrator with Gastroenterology Ltd., said physicians with her group will occupy half of the fifth floor and the other portion of the floor will be Central Illinois Endoscopy Center, a joint venture between her group and Methodist Medical Center.

Central Illinois Endoscopy Center will lower costs and increase efficiency for patient procedures, Garrabrant said.

The first and fourth floors of Illinois Medical Center are still being developed, and no leases have yet been signed.

Once completed, total employment in the building will be about 250, Patty said, noting that 60 percent of the building’s 36 physicians will be faculty at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria.

Dr. Sara Rusch, dean of the medical school, has some oversight for the building.

Kerry Howard, administrator with Illinois Lung Institute, said the new space allows his practice to combine three different locations into one space with research, patient testing, business office and patient exam rooms.

The unusual collaboration between government and private sector will become the model for future development, Patty said.

“This project involved hospitals, the university, private physicians, the state and the city,” he said.

“That’s how things work today.”