Northwest Community Hospital (NCH) welcomed a special guest to visit the award-winning medical center in Arlington Heights. On Tuesday, August 21, Mayor Hugues Fourage of Fontenay le Comte, France, along with his wife, Dr. Marie Mascle and their daughter met with hospital officials and physicians for a personal tour of the 496-bed hospital. The visit to NCH is one of the many activities planned for Mayor Fourage and his family during an extended visit to the United States, coordinated by the Sister Cities Association of Palatine.
Mayor Fourage and Dr. Mascle toured several specialized units of Northwest Community Hospital, including the state-of-the-art Emergency Department and Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Both Mayor Fourage and his wife were especially impressed with the integration of family in the care planning process and the overall value placed on the patient- and family-centered care philosophy. The French visitors were also impressed with the private room design, most notably in the NICU, as well as the multidisciplinary team approach to care that is practiced throughout the hospital and NCH’s system of care.
One such example of NCH’s dynamic, high-quality and expert care is in the Level III NICU where board-certified neonatologists from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, along with specially trained neonatal nurses, provide around-the-clock care to tiny preemies and seriously ill newborns. In addition, Palliative Care physicians from Midwest Palliative & Hospice CareCenter team up with doctors and NCH clinical specialists to provide comprehensive and holistic care to patients and families faced with serious or life-altering illnesses. Earlier this year, NCH became the first hospital in Illinois to receive Advanced Certification for Palliative Care from The Joint Commission.
The French town of Fontenay le Comte has served as the international sister city to Palatine since 1995. Through the Sister Cities Association of Palatine, community members from both cities have an opportunity to learn about the culture, community and history of a similar city in a foreign nation. The Sister Cities Association of Palatine facilitates events and activities throughout the year, as well as conducts exchanges between the two cities, affording individuals like Mayor Fourage and his family the unique experience of traveling to a Sister City.
Fontenay le Comte has history that goes back to the 1300’s and a population of just over 15,000.