Illinois Health Facilities & Services Review Board Blocks Closure Psychiatric Services Facility Northwest Community Hospital

The Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board has blocked Endeavor Health’s plan to eliminate inpatient psychiatric services at a 52-bed unit at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights.

In January 2025, Evanston, Illinois-based Endeavor Health announced plans to close a 52-bed inpatient psychiatric unit at the Arlington Heights campus April 11, 2025 due to a decrease in psychiatric services demand, and a new emphasis on outpatient and community-based care. About 100 behavioral health employees, along with a “small number” of staff would have been affected by layoffs.

At a March 18, 2025 board meeting, state regulators deadlocked in a 4-4 vote, preventing Endeavor from moving forward with the closure. Initially, the status of an appeal was unknown. According to the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board, there were no public public comments letters supporting the closure, and there was one public comment letter opposing the closure.

Endeavor Health claimed the Arlington Heights closure would not negatively affect access, because of service available in other facilities, including Linden Oaks Behavioral Health in Naperville, and hospitals in Chicago, Evanston, and Highland Park.

Arlington Heights psychiatric services citizen advocates attending a village board meeting, criticized the Endeavor Health decision before the village board, emphasizing that it was peculiar that Endeavor Health planned to close the Arlington Heights location while keeping other locations open. Ironically, these psychiatric services advocates have also been involved in the establishment of group homes and other services locally in Arlington Heights that could potentially compete with Endeavor Health Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights — possibly contributing to conditions of the decrease in demand for psychiatric service at the Arlington Heights location. The utilization for the 52 psychiatric units beds at Northwest Community Hospital in 2023 was 60.20%, according to the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board.

Northwest Community Hospital and Endeavor Health indicated that the decision to discontinue the Acute Mental Illness (AMI) inpatient beds at the hospital is driven by a combination of market trends, operational challenges, and a commitment to providing the highest standard of patient care. Northwest Community Hospital and Endeavor Health indicated state the decline in demand for inpatient AMI services is a primary factor in this proposal. According to the Endeavor Health, experts for organizations focused on the care of individuals suffering from mental illness, including the American Psychiatric Association and National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems, as well as the Advisory Board, predict a further decline in demand for inpatient behavioral health services over the next decade.

Northwest Community Hospital’s decrease in patient volumes has seen a 15.2% drop in Acute Mental Illness admissions from 2018 to 2023 and a 19% reduction in patient days.

Northwest Community Hospital and Endeavor Health had asked the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board to approve discontinuing a 52-bed acute mental illness service category. The projected closure was estimated to have no cost, and as mentioned above the expected completion date had been April 11, 2025.

Northwest Community Hospital and Endeavor Health claimed that government policies have increasingly emphasized outpatient and community-based care over inpatient treatment. Further, the rise in telehealth, particularly telepsychiatry and the option for virtual psychotherapy sessions, has provided some alternatives to inpatient care. Also specific to Illinois, including the area served by the Hospital, the Illinois Department of Health and Family Services has implemented several initiatives to improve access to outpatient behavioral health services, mainly through the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) program and other community-based strategies. Further, in collaboration with other state agencies and Google Public Sector, the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services launched the Behavioral Health Care and Ongoing Navigation (BEACON) portal in 2024.

Northwest Community Hospital and Endeavor Health indicated the organization does not believe there will be an impact on access to inpatient mental health services as there is a calculated excess of 71 acute mental illness beds in the A-07 AMI Hospital Planning Area. Additionally, the Northwest Community Hospital and Endeavor Health claimed Northwest Community Hospital is part of Endeavor Health, which includes Linden Oaks Hospital (a psychiatric hospital) and three acute care hospitals with inpatient psychiatric units, all operating below the State Board target occupancy of 85%. Northwest Community Hospital and Endeavor Health indicated Endeavor Health’s bed capacity allows for smooth patient transitions between facilities, ensuring continued access to medical and mental health services. In the emergency department of Northwest Community Hospital and other Endeavor Health hospitals, patients are always medically cleared and receive initial treatment before transfer when admission is indicated.

Northwest Community Hospital and Endeavor Health indicated the proposed discontinuation will not negatively impact essential behavioral health care in the community. They state that behavioral health care is increasingly shifting to the outpatient setting, and Northwest Community Hospital remains committed to supporting this transition by maintaining and expanding its outpatient services. Northwest Community Hospital will continue outpatient services such as day programs, counseling, provider clinics, and emergency department crisis stabilization.

Had the closure been allowed, Northwest Community Hospital would have continued to provide services through the Assessment and Referral Center, which offers easy access to behavioral health services for patients. Comprehensive assessments are conducted by master’s level clinicians and are offered at no cost to patients. A licensed clinician performs the evaluation, and the recommended level of care is reviewed with a psychiatrist. Northwest Community Hospital has partnered with Haymarket Center (an addiction recovery center) to offer peer support and recovery coaching services. The Endeavor Health system also partners with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to enhance mental health care through a variety of initiatives, including providing education and training for staff, supporting family members of patients with NAMI’s Family Support Groups, and offering peer support services. Endeavor Health also collaborates with NAMI to reduce stigma around mental illness, promote public awareness campaigns, and ensure a compassionate, integrated approach to mental health care for individuals still requiring inpatient care.

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January 1, 2022, NS-EE Holdings (NS-EE) became the sole corporate member of NorthShore University Health System (NorthShore) and Edward-Elmhurst Healthcare (EEH), both Illinois not-for-profit corporations. On December 5, 2023, NS-EE’s name was changed to Endeavor Health. Endeavor Health operates eight acute care facilities, including Edward Hospital, Elmhurst Hospital, Evanston Hospital, Glenbrook Hospital, Highland Park Hospital, Northwest Community Hospital, Skokie Hospital, Swedish Hospital, and Linden Oaks Hospital, a behavioral health hospital.

Northwest Community Hospital is a fully licensed, Medicare-certified, Joint Commission accredited, Illinois not-for-profit general hospital. The Medicare Care Compare website has assigned Northwest Community Hospital an overall four-star rating.

Endeavor Health provided licensure and accreditation information as required. They attested that they comply with and are in good standing with all federal and State regulations, including the Illinois State Agency Historic Resources Preservation Act and Executive Order #2006-5. In addition, the Applicants attested that they have not had any adverse actions as defined by the State Board in the past three years of filing this Application for Permit.

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