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Silver Cross Timeline

*To share your suggestions and ideas about which health services you would like to see at the new outpatient veterans mega-clinic, click here to take our online survey.  Please read below for the timeline of the project.


July '08

Lockport American Legion Post 18 Commander Mike Meyers, Braidwood American Legion Koca Post 39 Commander Jim Canup, Bolingbrook American Legion Post 1288 Commander Elden Laffoon, and Lockport American Legion Post 18 Member John B. Tipton contacted Biggert with the idea of converting Silver Cross Hospital in Joliet into a veterans’ health care facility.  The veterans’ idea originated after they learned that Silver Cross would be vacating the Joliet hospital building and moving hospital services to New Lenox, IL.

July '08
Biggert contacted officials at Silver Cross Hospital to gauge their interest in working with her to explore the process of using the hospital for veterans’ health services.  Silver Cross officials confirmed their interest in pursuing the idea.

July '08         
Biggert makes initial inquiry to VA about potential use for Silver Cross Hospital and level of existing health services available to veterans in Northern Will County and South Suburban Cook County.

August '08
Biggert contacts Hines VA Hospital administrators to highlight the opportunity to expand and improve federal health services for area veterans at Silver Cross Hospital.

September '08          
Biggert brings Commanders Canup and Meyers and other area veterans to meet with then Hines VA Hospital Director Nathan Geraths to discuss health services currently available at Hines and Joliet Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC).  Area veterans identify several reasons why their current options for health services are lacking and establish a clear need for improvement.  To view a photo, click here.

November '08  
Bolingbrook Reporter article by Don Grigas entitled “Hospital’s use as a veterans care facility unclear” outlines challenges and next steps for converting Silver Cross Hospital into a VA hospital or health facility for veterans.  The article highlights Biggert’s early support for the project. To read the article, click here.

December '08
Biggert tours Silver Cross Hospital and administrators point out several areas of the hospital that could easily be converted to meet the health needs of area veterans.  To view a photo of the tour, click here.  

February '09
The VA sends a letter to Silver Cross Hospital administrators, which details the VA’s extensive strategic annual planning, the number of veterans living in Will County, and the number and type of health care services currently available to veterans.  The VA states its belief that existing health services available for veterans meet the area’s needs.

March '09       
Biggert continues to pursue the idea of utilizing Silver Cross Hospital to serve area veterans.  Biggert meets with Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki and hand delivers a letter asking the VA to join Silver Cross Hospital, the Silver Cross Healthy Community Commission, and the veterans of the 13th District to “discuss the possibility of using Silver Cross to serve the needs of the veteran community.”  Shinseki commits to looking into the inquiry.  To view photos of the meeting, click here.  To read the letter, click here.

March '09       
Secretary Shinseki responds to Biggert's letter on Silver Cross; commits to instructing the Veteran Health Administration to assess the best way to utilize Silver Cross along with the needs of Illinois veterans.  To read the letter, click here.

April '09         
Silver Cross Healthy Community Commission meets with staff from the offices of Biggert, Burris, Durbin and Halvorson to discuss the potential use of Silver Cross by the VA.

May '09          
VA officials tour Silver Cross Hospital; begin ongoing meetings with Silver Cross that continue today.

May '09
Biggert, Burris, Durbin and Halvorson send letter to Secretary Shinseki thanking him for his interest in the Silver Cross Hospital facility, and encouraging him to support the expansion of veterans’ services at Silver Cross.  To read the letter, click here.

September'09
VA commits to expanding veteran health services in Northern Will County/South Suburban Cook region.  Begin to outline various options for bringing veterans’ health services to Silver Cross Hospital facility.

September '09 – Present         
Biggert, Silver Cross Hospital administrators, and others continue to meet with the VA to discuss the VA turning Silver Cross’ Emergency Room into a Mega CBOC (Community Based Outpatient Clinic) when the facility is vacated in 2012.     

May '10
Plainfield Sun article, “Uniformly grateful: Let’s thank those who serve,” highlights the behind-the-scenes work of Biggert and others to move the Silver Cross project forward. To read the article, click here.

June '10
Biggert meets with Hines VA Director Sharon Helman, and invites her to meet with area veterans about the importance of the Silver Cross Hospital project.

July '10           
Biggert holds Veteran Listening Session with Hines VA Hospital Director Sharon Helman and VBA Regional Director Duane Honeycutt.  They provide veterans with an update on Silver Cross and seek input regarding satisfaction with existing veteran services.  To read the media advisory, click here. To view the photos, click here.

Sept '10          
VA issues Silver Cross update regarding the acquisition process.
To read the update, click here.

Oct '10
Biggert, Durbin, and Halvorson praised the VA's announcement that substantial progress has been made toward turning the Emergency Room at Silver Cross Hospital into a VA outpatient mega-clinic in early 2012.  Silver Cross Hospital and the VA are currently negotiating an Offer to Sell contract, and recently have reached a verbal agreement-in-principle on a majority of the terms – including purchase price and acreage.  To read the release, click here.

Feb ‘11
Biggert, Durbin, Kirk, and Kinzinger communicate to the VA their support for expanding veteran health services through the use of the Silver Cross Hospital Facility.

May ‘11
VA issues Silver Cross update confirming that negotiations on an offer to sell contract are ongoing. 

June '11 
Biggert hosts a Veteran Town  Hall Meeting at the Bolingbrook Village Hall to provide a status update that Silver Cross officials are reviewing final versions of the “Offer to Sell” and the acquisition agreement is close to being finalized.  Biggert was joined by Hines VA Hospital Director Sharon Helman and VA Regional Director Duane Honeycutt to discuss continued efforts to improve veterans’ services in the area.  For an update of the meeting, click here for the Joliet Herald article and click here for the photo album.

August '11
VA Secretary Eric Shinseki formally approved the VA's purchase of the 4.4 acre property from Silver Cross.  Biggert, Sen. Durbin, Sen. Kirk, and Rep. Kinzinger celebrate the long-anticipated agreement to transform the emergency room facility at Joliet's Silver Cross Hospital into a 60,000 square foot outpatient mega-clinic for area veterans.  For more, click here.

November '11
Biggert leads efforts to collect local veteran input on which health services are most needed at the new mega-clinic.  To learn more, click here.  To share your suggestions, take Biggert's online poll here.  You can also submit suggestions directly to Hines VA by calling (708) 202-5627 or emailing HinesPublicAffairsOfficer@va.gov.

February '12
The Joliet City Council approved a development plan that allows the Department of Veterans Affairs to take over a section of Silver Cross Hospital for the clinic.  For more, click here.


March '12
The VA purchased 4.4 acres of the former campus of Silver Cross hospital in Joliet, IL, including a two-story Emergency Department building and approximately 175 parking spaces. This space will be used to open a new 60,000 square foot Veterans Outpatient Clinic.  For more, click here.