Stroger Hospital Trauma, Burn and Rehabilitation Unit Renovation

Integrated IT Systems for One of the Largest Specialty Healthcare Departments in the Nation

About the Project

As the flagship of Cook County Health, John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital serves as the hub of specialty and sub-specialty care for the 3rd largest county in the nation. Since opening in 2002, it has become one of the busiest and most well-respected level one trauma centers in the US, with an ER that treats approximately 120,000 patients annually.

During the massive undertaking of building Stroger Hospital adjacent to the 150-year-old former Cook County Hospital, Level-1 was a newly formed entity tasked with correcting the incomplete work of a minority contractor that went out of business right after 9/11. 

Level-1’s first major delivery of services included a full network design, supervising the set-up to connect the new hospital to existing healthcare facilities, and the design and development of 39 communication closets and a data center technology warehouse. Built to last, this main data center today still serves all data communications across the campus and throughout the entire Cook County Health & Hospital System.  

Level-1 equipped the data center with state-of-the-art power and environmental systems protection that ensures reliable operation even in cases of component failure. A separate electrical system was designed to support off-grid operations during an emergency, keeping network systems and supported databases online during outages. 

The Stroger Hospital network features single and multimode fiber-optic distribution via a redesigned cable plant. Electrical systems include conditioned power, battery backup, high-frequency grounding and electrical distribution, and static and automated transfer switching systems.

Level-1 managed all aspects of the data center design and construction from planning to implementation. This included cable plant and distribution frame construction, structured wiring specifications, fiber-optics, overhead and underfloor cable plans, electrical systems and back-ups, and environmental systems. Level-1 also coordinated with medical, electrical and plumbing contractors to ensure compliance with relevant building codes. 

Level-1 also corrected serious issues from a prior design, including the upgrading of standard industry practices to protect power supplies, network equipment and cables against natural and man-made disasters. We also relocated highly-sensitive MRI equipment to accommodate the new data center and insulated the sensitive medical imaging equipment against the vibrations of the nearby green line ‘L’ station. 

Supported by Level-1’s high-quality infrastructure, today Stroger Hospital maintains a strong commitment to the health care needs of Cook County’s underserved population, while also remaining at the forefront of new therapies and innovations in healthcare and offering a full-range of specialized medical services for all segments of the community.

Location

Chicago

Markets

Government
Healthcare
Education & Research

Services

Technical Services
Engineering (Design)