Comprehensive Plan - Carbondale, IL

Adopted June 22, 2010Rationale:Since opening their doors in 1959 Memorial Hospital of Carbondale has become adominate employer for the community and region and has continued to expandtheir facilities and healthcare services. Memorial Hospital, as depicted in Figure5.4, Memorial Hospital, is part of the Southern Illinois Healthcare System and isthe largest facility in their system serving southern Illinois as a regional medicalcenter. The Hospital is located on West Main Street just west of the downtown andis surrounded predominately by residential neighborhoods. As a major employerand healthcare provider for the region, and as a major generator of visits intothe City, the Hospital is integral to the regional economy. Therefore, an ongoingdialogue with the Hospital administration and SIH management to discuss waysto enhance the hospital’s plans to expand needs to be initiated as part of the City’sown economic expansion plans.Actions and Initiatives:a. Schedule periodic meetings (quarterly or semi-annually) with the HospitalAdministration to develop strategies andinitiatives that would mutually benefit theHospital and the community.Figure 5.4 | MEMORIAL HOSPITALb. Review the existing zoning and land uses ofthe area bordering the Hospital and identifyareas that may be suitable for futureexpansion of facilities.c. Consider infrastructure improvementsin the area that would accommodate andsupport future Hospital expansion.Strategy 2: Develop a plan to link theHospital with the downtown to integrate thehospital as a part of downtown.Rationale:Memorial Hospital is strategically located in thecore area of Carbondale immediately west ofthe downtown area. The Hospital fronts alongWest Main and University Avenue providingeasy vehicular access to the Hospital complex.However there is a perceived disconnect to thedowntown due to the location along two majorhighways with heavy traffic volumes. The largedaytime population at the Hospital, includingemployees and visitors, should warrant someefforts to improve the connectivity of theHospital to the downtown.Actions and Initiatives:a. As part of plans to improve the streetscapeof downtown, ensure that improvementsextend along West Main Street to theHospital.Memorial Hospital of Carbondale is home tothe leading open heart surgery and cardiac careprogram in southern Illinois, with outcomesthat exceed national standards. The hospitalis also home to a regional cancer treatmentcenter, the only Level II-plus neonatal intensivecare unit south of Springfield, and the onlypediatric unit in southern Illinois. The hospitalalso features the area’s most advanced imagingcenter with a new, filmless, digital picturearchiving network that makes all images madeat the hospital instantly available on securecomputers throughout the SIH system. Thehospital is affiliated with Southern IllinoisUniversity’s Medical School through its FamilyPractice Residency Program.Comprehensive Plan5.11Economic Development