Endeavor Health Northwest Community Hospital has received state approval to advance plans for a new $175 million cancer and neuroscience center in Arlington Heights, Illinois. The Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board voted unanimously Tuesday to greenlight the project, which aims to consolidate the hospital’s outpatient cancer and neurological services into a single, three-story facility spanning 104,000 square feet.
The proposed center will be linked to the existing hospital building via a bridge, allowing for streamlined patient access. According to hospital leadership, the project responds to increasing local demand for specialized cancer care. Data cited in the hospital’s application forecast a 12% rise in cancer incidence within Northwest Community’s service area between 2023 and 2028. Advances in treatment have also extended patient survival times, further intensifying the need for expanded outpatient services.
“This is going to allow us to create more capacity to meet the demand but also do it in a much more cohesive, coordinated way by bringing everything under one location so patients don’t have to travel,” said David Rahija, president of Northwest Community Hospital. He emphasized that the new facility will facilitate a more seamless experience for patients and enable the hospital to increase its number of oncology specialists. Endeavor also anticipates that the center will improve access to clinical trials for area patients.
Following the state board’s approval, the project now requires approval from the village of Arlington Heights. Mayor James Tinaglia has expressed support for the initiative, noting local challenges related to limited access to cancer subspecialty care and lengthy travel times for treatment. If all necessary approvals are secured, Endeavor plans to begin construction later this year, with completion targeted for December 2029.
Endeavor Health, which acquired Northwest Community Hospital in 2021 (formerly NorthShore University HealthSystem), has made several changes since the acquisition. In 2023, the organization closed a 52-bed inpatient psychiatric unit at Northwest Community, citing decreased demand and a strategic shift toward outpatient and community-based behavioral health services. Earlier this year, an outpatient behavioral health center was opened in Palatine to expand access beyond what was available on the hospital campus.
Rahija noted that by focusing resources on early interventions in patient care, the hospital aims to prevent crises and better meet community needs while maintaining its role as a multidisciplinary healthcare provider. Meanwhile, Endeavor continues to enhance cancer care across its network, including expansions at Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital and Endeavor Health Elmhurst Hospital.
The planned Northwest Community center joins a broader trend among Chicago-area healthcare systems investing heavily in cancer care infrastructure. Other major systems, including Northwestern Medicine, UChicago Medicine, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, and Rush University System for Health, are also committing hundreds of millions of dollars to expand oncology services amid rising demand.