First-of-its kind in Illinois, facility is the latest example of health system’s commitment to setting a new standard for excellence in heart care

EVANSTON, Ill. – Today, Endeavor Health℠, Illinois’ third-largest health system, announces the opening its new Cardiovascular Institute at Glenbrook Hospital (CVI). The $170 million, three-floor (two above ground), 170,000-square-foot facility will serve as a regional destination for advanced heart care, offering comprehensive cardiovascular services, including clinical cardiology, diagnostic testing, elective cardiac and vascular surgeries, catheterizations, structural heart procedures, electrophysiology studies, women’s cardiology, sports cardiology, cardio-oncology, wellness and prevention, and more.

“With the CVI at Glenbrook, we’re bringing together services and coalescing expertise in a way that ensures the highest quality of patient care,” says Gregory J. Mishkel, MD, Chief, Division of Cardiology; VP and Co-Director, Cardiac Service Line, Endeavor Health NorthShore Hospitals and Allstate Foundation/Judson B. Branch Chair of Cardiology. “The entire concept is designed around the needs of our patients and their families – improving their experience, providing compassionate care from dedicated experts and ultimately improving outcomes that help our patients return home and get back to doing what they love sooner.”

The CVI at Glenbrook Hospital, primarily serving Endeavor Health’s patients in northern Chicagoland, has nine cardiology procedure labs and six surgical suites (including four open-heart operating rooms and two hybrid operating rooms), 16 Post-Anesthesia Care Unit bays and 38 pre- and post-procedure rooms. The facility is set up to evolve with emerging technologies – from AI and robotics to advanced imaging, digital health and wearables. The structure is also built to accommodate the addition of three floors (60-70,000 square feet) in the future. Glenbrook Hospital will continue to serve as an award-winning acute care hospital and emergency department.

Additionally, the building is packed with sustainable features and energy efficiencies, including high-efficiency shaded exterior glass, a green roof, permeable pavers to provide vital water absorption and an HVAC system with several major energy-saving features. With the building complete, focus is shifting to the installation of solar panels on the roof, as well as an anticipated commercial-scale battery system to help manage the electrical load of the hospital. This project is in the planning and design phase, with a targeted completion date slated for late 2025.

“This effort showcases our commitment to promoting a healthier environment for our patients, their families and our team members,” says Maria Knecht, RN, BSN, MSN, President, Endeavor Health Glenbrook Hospital. “There will be a tangible, measurable impact, including high-efficiency building energy systems, a green stormwater infrastructure, a contribution to the resiliency and decarbonization of our community power grid and serving as a model to be adopted by other Endeavor Health hospitals.”

Endeavor Health builds on history of cardiovascular leadership, institute approach

The opening of the Glenbrook Hospital CVI is the latest example of Endeavor Health’s focus on robust clinical institutes, including centralized locations for specialty medical services, while also meeting the vast array of healthcare needs across the system’s acute care hospitals in each of the system’s communities. The system is also home to the Orthopaedic & Spine Institute, which opened at Skokie Hospital in 2019 and performs the most orthopaedic and spine surgeries of any hospital in Illinois. For cardiovascular services, Endeavor Health ranks first in Illinois for cardiovascular outpatient surgeries and procedures and second in the state for all cardiovascular discharges and total cardiovascular surgeries and procedures.  

In addition to the CVI at Glenbrook Hospital, Endeavor Health expects to open a $67 million, 70,500-square-foot CVI Outpatient Center at Edward Hospital in Naperville, the system’s cardiovascular hub in the western suburbs, in early 2025, making it the first cardiac ambulatory surgical center in the Chicago region. The three-story building will offer cardiac catheterizations, rehab, diagnostic testing, outpatient procedures and space for independent physicians. The system also recently upgraded several cardiac catheterization labs and opened a new hybrid operating room at Elmhurst Hospital.

“We’re working across our health system to provide readily accessible, best-in-class cardiac services from a team with world-class expertise,” says Yvette Saba, BSN, MSN, System Executive, Cardiovascular Institute, Endeavor Health. “At the same time, we have a full range of services and dedicated team members to fulfill our commitment to the community to help everyone live their healthiest lives.”

Endeavor Health’s leading-edge, multidisciplinary approach and world-renowned specialists also help ensure patients receive the latest in cardiovascular treatments, testing and technology, including:

  • The latest Food and Drug Administration-approved leadless pacemakers for heart rhythm disorders
  • Innovative non-surgical, catheter-based heart, aortic and mitral valve treatments
  • Minimally invasive endovascular (inside the blood vessels) techniques for treating aortic aneurysms and carotid artery disease
  • Personalized medicine to uncover genetically driven cardiac conditions
  • Access to the latest medical, endovascular and surgical techniques through clinical trials

These efforts are a continuation of Endeavor Health’s leadership in providing innovative cardiovascular treatments and programs, and access to pioneering research. Prior to becoming part of Endeavor Health, NorthShore Hospitals, which includes Evanston, Glenbrook, Highland Park and Skokie Hospitals, launched its CVI program in 2015 and since has experienced significant procedural growth across all areas of cardiovascular care. NorthShore was first in Illinois to perform mitral valve repair and among the first to perform mitral and aortic valve replacement. NorthShore was also among the first hospitals in the country to offer testing to identify genetic risk factors for heart disease through the Mark R. Neaman Center for Personalized Medicine.

In the system’s South Region, Edward Hospital is home to a dedicated cardiovascular hospital that opened in 2002 as the first hospital in Illinois to provide comprehensive, advanced cardiac care in one location. Edward’s cardiovascular history dates back to 1990, when it launched a comprehensive cardiac medicine program and then opened the state's first freestanding outpatient heart center, the Edward Cardiovascular Institute, in 1993. Doctors at Edward Hospital performed the world’s first minimally invasive cryoballoon procedure to treat Afib and were among the first in Illinois to offer highly specialized heart procedures, like TAVR (transcatheter aortic valve replacement) and WATCHMAN (an implant alternative to treat Afib).

Learn more about cardiovascular care at Endeavor Health and the Glenbrook Hospital CVI.