OSF Milestone Project -- Wednesday, April 28, 2010

OLLI members had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit Peoria's largest construction project during a tour of the OSF St. Francis Medical Center's Milestone Project.

Slated for an August 2010 opening, the 456,000 square-foot building has nine floors for an emergency department, surgery and cardiovascular procedures, neonatal intensive care, pediatric critical care, St. Jude Midwest Affiliate, adult heart unit, general pediatrics, and helipad.

Our private, hard hat tour was given by one of the two managers of the $280 million project that began in July 2007. Of special interest was the interior design of each floor, which was based on a prayer composed by St. Francis of Assisi in 1224. The Canticle of the Sun praises God with His creatures: the sun, moon, wind, water, fire and earth.

As we toured the new expansion, OLLI members saw special symbols on each floor, each one a reference to the prayer. The symbols and color palette are designed to be soothing and reassuring for patients, and provide an easy way to identify each particular floor. The Emergency Department's decor is "All Creatures," the Surgery Floor is "Earth," the 2nd floor is "Fire and Light," the neonatal ICU is "Wind and Air," the Pediatric Critical Care floor is "Water," the adult heart unit is "Sun," and the general pediatrics floor is "Moon and Stars."

OLLI thanks Rebecca Heisler of OSF for coordinating this incredible tour. For more information about the Milestone Project, please visit its website.