Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago is moving forward with plans for a new pediatric hospital in Downers Grove, Illinois

Planned as a low-acuity pediatric facility, the Downers Grove hospital would be Lurie Children’s first inpatient hospital outside its flagship Chicago campus. According to the health system, the proposed site is designed to deliver specialized pediatric care closer to where families live, while expanding access to key services that are increasingly scarce across the country.

What the New Downers Grove Pediatric Hospital Will Offer

The proposed hospital is expected to include a broad range of child-focused services, all under one roof. Current plans call for:

• A dedicated pediatric emergency department
• Inpatient beds for children requiring hospital stays
• Pediatric surgery suites
• Subspecialty services in:
• Pediatric oncology
• Pediatric cardiology
• Pediatric gastroenterology
• Pediatric orthopedics

For Lurie Children’s, this represents its largest institutional investment since relocating its main hospital to Chicago’s Streeterville neighborhood. The expansion underscores a long-term commitment to pediatric care at a time when many health systems are scaling back such services.

Closing a Critical Care Gap in Chicago’s Western Suburbs

Lurie Children’s leadership has described the Downers Grove project as a direct response to care gaps in the region. Nearly half of children in Chicago’s western suburbs currently leave their communities to receive inpatient pediatric care. That pattern places stress on families, lengthens travel times, and can delay needed treatment.

One of the most crucial components of the plan is the dedicated pediatric emergency department. While many community hospitals operate general emergency rooms, they often lack pediatric-specific staff, equipment and protocols. A child-focused ER can significantly improve outcomes and experiences for young patients and their families.

Tom Shanley, MD, President and CEO of Lurie Children’s, has emphasized that the new hospital is intended not just to deliver episodic care, but to be an integral part of the community’s health infrastructure. By planting deeper roots in the suburbs, Lurie Children’s aims to improve access, reduce disparities, and create a more family-centered model of pediatric care.

Expansion Amid a National Trend of Pediatric Unit Closures

The move comes against the backdrop of a well-documented national trend: pediatric unit closures and reductions in child-specific services. Across the United States, many hospitals have consolidated or shut down pediatric units due to:

• Low patient volumes in certain regions
• Workforce shortages
• Financial pressures related to reimbursement, particularly Medicaid
• Strategic shifts toward higher-margin adult services

Maintaining robust pediatric subspecialty programs can be challenging. It requires a large, multidisciplinary team: pediatric subspecialists, bedside nurses, advanced practice providers, respiratory therapists, child life specialists, and a full range of allied health professionals.

Dr. Shanley has acknowledged that many systems struggle to sustain this level of specialized pediatric care. Nevertheless, Lurie Children’s is pursuing a different path: deepening its pediatric footprint and doubling down on its mission to focus exclusively on children.

What This Means for Nurses Including International Nurses

For nurses, particularly those interested in pediatrics, this project represents more than just another hospital on the map. It’s a signal that certain health systems are actively investing in child health and building environments where pediatric nursing careers can thrive.

Key implications for the nursing workforce include:

• Expanded demand for pediatric nurses: Inpatient units, an emergency department, and subspecialty clinics will all require skilled pediatric RNs, nurse practitioners, and advanced practice nurses.
• Opportunities in pediatric subspecialties: Nurses with experience in oncology, cardiology, orthopedics, gastroenterology, and perioperative services will be especially valuable.
• *Need for culturally competent care: Serving diverse communities in the western suburbs will heighten the need for multilingual and multicultural nursing teams a natural fit for many *international nurses who bring global experience and language skills.
• Potential for career growth: Joining a growing pediatric system like Lurie Children’s can open pathways to leadership, education, research, and advanced practice roles.

As pediatric hospitals expand or shift their geographic focus, employers are increasingly looking beyond local talent pools. International nurses seeking U.S. nursing jobs may find more openings in specialized settings, particularly where there is sustained investment in children’s services.

NurseContact’s Role in Connecting International Nurses to U.S. Pediatric Employers

This is where platforms like NurseContact become vital. NurseContact is a digital marketplace that matches international nurses with U.S. healthcare employers, streamlining what is often a complicated and fragmented hiring process.

For hospitals building or expanding pediatric programs like Lurie Children’s new Downers Grove campus NurseContact can help by:

• Offering access to a vetted pool of qualified international nurses with pediatric experience
• Supporting a streamlined hiring process that addresses licensing, visa, and onboarding considerations
• Helping employers fill hard-to-recruit roles in subspecialty areas and critical care
• Enhancing workforce diversity, which can support better patient communication and trust

For nurses abroad, particularly those with pediatric backgrounds, the evolving U.S. landscape marked by closures in some areas and growth in others means it’s crucial to connect with employers actively investing in children’s health. NurseContact helps nurses identify those opportunities, match with suitable roles, and navigate the steps to work in the United States.

A Community-Focused Model of Pediatric Care

Lurie Children’s has emphasized that the Downers Grove hospital will be more than a clinical facility; it’s intended to function as a community partner. That vision aligns closely with modern pediatric care, which increasingly recognizes that children’s health is shaped by:

• Access to preventive and primary care
• Social determinants of health, including housing, schooling, and nutrition
• Family support systems and mental health resources
• Strong collaboration between hospitals, community clinics, and local organizations

Dr. Shanley has highlighted the importance of “caring for the population of kids,” not just the individual child at a single point in time. This population health approach requires sustained outreach, coordinated care, and teams that reflect and understand the communities they serve.

For nurses especially those on the front lines of patient and family care this model offers meaningful opportunities to engage in:

• Community health initiatives
• Family education and chronic disease management
• Care coordination across outpatient, inpatient, and emergency settings
• Quality improvement and patient safety projects focused on pediatric outcomes

A Strategic Step in Lurie Children’s Regional Growth

The Downers Grove project is part of a broader growth strategy by Lurie Children’s. The system already operates more than 20 outpatient centers and collaborates with 10 partner hospitals across the region. Establishing a full inpatient presence in the western suburbs formalizes and strengthens its regional footprint.

A design-build team led by Clayco has been selected to guide planning and development. The project remains in early stages and will require regulatory approvals, but its direction is clear: a dedicated, child-focused hospital positioned closer to suburban families who currently travel long distances for inpatient pediatric care.

Looking Ahead: Opportunities for Pediatric Nurses in a Changing Landscape

While some hospitals continue to wind down pediatric units, others like Lurie Children’s are choosing to invest in comprehensive pediatric services. For nurses, this creates a shifting map of where opportunities are emerging.

In particular, pediatric hospitals, children’s health systems, and specialized children’s facilities are likely to continue seeking:

• Experienced pediatric bedside nurses
• Nurses with backgrounds in emergency, critical care, surgery, and subspecialty clinics
• International nurses prepared to transition into U.S. practice settings
• Clinicians who value family-centered care, child advocacy, and community engagement

As U.S. employers plan long-term pediatric strategies, having a reliable pipeline of talent is essential. Platforms such as NurseContact help bridge the gap between demand and supply, creating direct, efficient connections between U.S. pediatric employers and international nurses looking to build meaningful careers in child health.

If you’re an international nurse interested in pediatric nursing jobs in the USA or a healthcare employer planning growth in children’s services NurseContact can help you navigate this evolving landscape and connect with the right opportunities at the right time