Hospital aims to expand in Grayslake

Following rejection from Condell Medical Center on a proposal to merge, Lake Forest Hospital officials are refocusing their efforts on their Grayslake campus.

In a letter to employees Thursday, Lake Forest Hospital officials said they have submitted a letter of intent to the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board to build an outpatient surgery center at the Grayslake Outpatient and Acute Care Center.

If approved, Lake Forest Hospital will invest $70 million in the center. The Grayslake site has been open for four years and saw 26,000 patients in 2007.

The expansion has already been approved by the village of Grayslake.

Thursday's letter also said the Lake Forest Hospital Foundation Board of Directors said it had officially withdrew its merger proposal to Libertyville-based Condell.

Last week, Condell rejected Lake Forest's proposal and began merger discussions with Advocate Health Care.