State Review Panel OKs Carle Hospital Buildout

Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana says it’s received approval from a state panel to build out space in its Carle Tower wing.

The hospital says the approval by the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board for 48 medical-surgical beds will help it meet the demand for specialized and high-quality care.

Presence Covenant Medical Center had objected to the expansion, saying it would lose patients to Carle to a “devastating” degree. But Carle argued that the build-out would offer advanced specialty care that isn’t available at other regional hospitals.

Work on the Carle expansions is set to begin this fall, and with completion expected in 2016.