University of Chicago Medicine plans a buildout of vacant space in its year-old hospital pavilion, moving beds from an older facility and expanding its capacity and improving efficiency, according to an article on the Crain's Chicago Business website.

When the hospital finished construction on the Center for Care and Discovery last year, it left the third and fourth floors of the 10-story building undeveloped to be used for later expansion.

U of C plans to move 122 medical-surgical beds into the new hospital building from the nearby Bernard A. Mitchell Hospital. All 32 intensive care beds from Mitchell will also be moved to the new pavilion and 12 more will be added, the article said.

Consolidating operations offers advantages in infection control, transportation and the ability to better use resources, according to Mark Silberman, a Chicago-based partner in the health care practice at Duane Morris LLP. 

“There is certainly inherent value in having things centralized.”

Read the article.