OSF HealthCare is dedicated to surrounding you with care

We Listened. We Heard.
We Enhanced our Plan.

OSF HealthCare believes maintaining a strong health care presence in Ottawa is essential to delivering the highest level of care to residents.

An Open Letter to the Community

Building Healthy Communities

In every heartbeat of our journey, OSF HealthCare stands with gratitude for the privilege of serving you and your community. Since our inception in 1877, guided by The Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, we've embraced a Mission rooted in serving with the greatest care and love.

Today, we embark on an inspiring chapter, fueled by our unwavering commitment to your well-being and the health of your community. With a profound sense of purpose, we're investing over $180 million to build a new OSF HealthCare Saint Elizabeth Medical Center in Ottawa and to make renovations at the Peru campus, to ensure health and healing across the region.

This investment isn't just about infrastructure; it's about:

Nurturing a vibrant, modern, regional health care model.

Ensuring that everyone has access to the care they deserve.

Building healthy communities for the future.

Investing in Your Future Health Care

Across the country, rural hospitals are closing. Others have eliminated services, most notably obstetrics care, and have shuttered their birthing centers.

OSF is dedicated to surrounding you with care. We have filed plans with the state to invest $180 million to construct a new hospital in Ottawa and to continue renovating the OSF Saint Elizabeth Peru campus.

With inpatient hospital facilities in Ottawa, Peru, Mendota and Princeton and multiple additional care settings across the region, we are creating a modern regional health care model where you can get the care you need when you need it.

Ottawa campus

Emergency Department
26-bed inpatient behavioral health unit
12 inpatient medical/surgical beds
Surgery suite for common procedures
Diagnostic imaging
Robust outpatient services
Expanded cancer care services

Peru campus

Emergency Department
45 inpatient medical/surgical beds
8 inpatient ICU rooms
11 inpatient obstetrics rooms, regional birthing center
Surgery and procedure rooms
Diagnostic imaging
Robust outpatient services

Emergency Care Nearby

Mendota, Illinois

OSF HealthCare Saint Paul Medical Center

Ottawa, Illinois

OSF HealthCare Saint Elizabeth Medical Center - Ottawa

Peru, Illinois

OSF HealthCare Saint Elizabeth Medical Center - Peru

Princeton, Illinois

OSF HealthCare Saint Clare Medical Center

Streator, Illinois

OSF Center for Health - Streator

We Know You May Have Questions …

We know some of you have concerns. We also know many understand why a regional approach makes sense.

If you have questions, please click the button below to fill out the form. Then check back for updates to the Frequently Asked Questions as we will continue to address questions we receive.

Submit Your Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Please keep checking for updates as we address your questions and concerns.

The enhanced plan includes adding eight more medical/surgical beds in Ottawa and a second procedure room, bringing the total of med/surg beds to 20 at the newly constructed hospital. Four of those eight additional beds would be used for intermediate care – a higher level of care than med/surg, allowing more patients to remain in Ottawa. This would be a brand-new service for Ottawa. The revised plan would also mean an additional investment of approximately $14 million (on top of the $139 million detailed in the certificated of need application).

In 2020, OSF began addressing significant infrastructure needs at OSF Saint Elizabeth in Ottawa. We looked to build a replacement hospital in the I-80 area and an ambulatory footprint in Peru.

Then in 2023, St. Margaret’s Health closed hospitals in Peru and Spring Valley in January and June, respectively. At that time, OSF reviewed all the inpatient and outpatient needs for the entire I-80 service area. OSF considered the future health care needs of these communities to create a regional health care delivery system where all have access to the care and services they need.

From a regulatory standpoint, it was simpler to maintain them as one license.

OSF will cover the cost of the ambulance transport from Ottawa to Peru as it is a transfer from one department to another within the same hospital.

OSF would not provide transportation in this case, however, we can put family members in touch with community resources that can assist with transportation needs.

Additional FAQs

For your convenience, we've compiled a full list of FAQs. Check back for updates.

Download FAQs

Dear residents,

By staying informed with factual data, we can collectively support the health and well-being of the Ottawa community.

We feel it’s necessary to clarify that some information circulating in the community is not grounded in facts but rather an opinion that misrepresents the role of OSF in providing comprehensive care to the residents of LaSalle, Bureau and Putnam counties.

As a dedicated health care provider, we cannot overlook the significant health care advancements over the past decade. We are committed to ensuring that all our patients, regardless of their location within our service area, have access to the necessary care. This commitment is at the core of our Mission and Values.

Deferring review

Our project to replace the current hospital in Ottawa will not be heard at the Spring 2025 meeting of the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board. We asked that the review be deferred to a later date to allow us time to discuss details of the enhanced plan that we proposed to city officials in June.

We appreciate all the interest and feedback regarding our plans. The passion for health care shown by community residents and leaders is a testament to the city of Ottawa. OSF cares deeply about the citizens of Ottawa and the surrounding communities, and we genuinely believe in the regional health care model outlined in our certificate of need (CON) application filed with the state earlier this year.

This model, which we firmly stand by, serves the needs of all while being efficient and sustainable. However, we took your feedback and concerns seriously and developed a new, enhanced plan, which was shared with Ottawa Mayor Robert Hasty in June.

Enhanced plan details

The enhanced plan for Ottawa includes:

Adding eight more medical/surgical beds
Bringing the total of med/surg beds to 20 at the newly constructed hospital
Adding a second procedure room
Using four of those eight additional beds for intermediate care – a higher level of care than med/surg and a brand-new service
Allowing more patients to remain in Ottawa
Investing an approximately $14 million more on top of the $139 million detailed in the CON application

We have asked Mayor Hasty and the Ottawa City Council for their support. Without it, we cannot move this enhanced plan forward. We believe this plan is a significant enhancement and ask that the Council consider and approve a resolution supporting it.

Restoring services to the region

The majority of community members in the region support our plan. The departure of St. Margaret's Health from the region has negatively impacted patient access, patient care, health care worker jobs and even the local economy. Everyone must recognize the critical need to maintain and enhance health care services in the area.

OSF has already restored many services in Peru and the area, including:

Reinstating Emergency Department services with inpatient medical beds
Opening outpatient services including X-ray, mammography, CT scans, MRI scans and ultrasounds, lab tests, outpatient infusions and EKGs
Expanding to 12 inpatient medical beds
Establishing primary and specialty care, prompt care, OSF OnCall Urgent Care, 24/7 digital urgent care, nurse triage and more

All along, our goal has been to preserve and sustain access to high-quality, local health care for the entire region.

Getting the care you deserve

By working together, we can ensure our communities continue to receive the high-quality health care they deserve. Thank you for your support and patience as we work to bring this enhanced health care facility to Ottawa. We encourage everyone to check back here to stay up-to-date with factual information on our health care services and initiatives.

Warmest regards,

AJ Querciagrossa
Chief Executive Officer
Western Region, OSF HealthCare

Dawn Trompeter
President
OSF HealthCare Saint Elizabeth Medical Center
OSF HealthCare Saint Paul Medical Center

We Listened. We Heard.We Enhanced our Plan.