Moving often means the end of a chapter in life, whether happy or sad, and the beginning of something new. If you can’t turn the page, however, you’ll never know what the next chapter may bring. That’s how Nicole Quick felt when she made the decision to travel thousands of miles across the world to be part of Move Day at the new Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital.

Deep-rooted in Lake Forest

Quick’s roots run deep at Lake Forest Hospital. She was born there and grew up in the nearby community of Lake Bluff. In August 2016, she became a project manager with Northwestern Medicine and started working on the Activation Team to plan for opening the new building.

Nine months into the project, her husband was offered a unique career opportunity in Singapore, which meant packing up her three sons and moving to Asia – and leaving the job she loved.

“It’s not every day you get to work on a project like this,” Quick says. “The hardest part was not being able to see the end of the project and knowing that I wouldn’t have the opportunity to see it go live.”

Because of her attachment to the project, Quick decided to make the trek from Singapore back to Lake Forest to be part of the historic move.

Move Day

Quick flew 20 hours on Thursday, March 1, and spent the next day helping staff with last-minute logistical details, such as posting signs and packing supplies. Starting at 6 am on Saturday, March 3, Quick helped move patients from the old Emergency Department via ambulances and through elevators. After completing a safe and successful move, she left at midnight on Sunday, March 4, to make the return flight back to Singapore.

Her trip was everything she expected – and more. Quick was particularly impressed by how confident, calm and well-prepared the hospital staff, administration and volunteers were on Move Day.

“I had a little bit of anxiety leaving the project before it was completed, but coming back to see the new hospital and knowing that everything went smoothly gave me the closure I needed. The wow factor came to life. The new hospital is incredible. In the end, it was absolutely everything I expected, and more,” Quick says.

“I’m so excited for the patient experience, not only through the innovative technology, but the new efficiencies that will be gained by the layout and design of the new space,” she adds.

Back in Singapore

Quick is turning her sights on adjusting to the Asian climate, working on her master’s degree and helping her three sons, ages 12, 10 and 6, get the full cultural experience. But when her husband’s Singapore stint is over, she plans to return to Northwestern Medicine.

“Northwestern Medicine has a huge place in my heart, and I have the utmost respect for this healthcare system. It’s based on the right values, and a strong sense of pride coupled with putting patients first. There is a genuine concern for patients. It’s what we need now in health care,” she says.

The historic move was a coordinated effort that involved 659 staff members from Lake Forest Hospital and 114 volunteers, representing 21 locations within the Northwestern Medicine healthcare system. Physicians, clinical care providers and non-clinical staff came together to move 71 patients by ambulances and wheelchairs through tunnels and elevators to their new rooms in the new, state-of-the-art hospital, located at 1000 North Westmoreland Road in Lake Forest, Illinois.

To learn more about the vast effort involved in moving to the new Lake Forest Hospital, read How to Move a Hospital.

About Lake Forest Hospital

The new hospital, which broke ground in 2014, provides patients with better care, close to home, and offers seamless access to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, the No. 1 ranked hospital in Illinois by U.S. News & World Report. The new Lake Forest Hospital offers advanced technology, leading-edge treatments and innovative clinical trials within a world-class health system. Read more about its innovative design.

To learn more about Northwestern Medicine, visit news.nm.org/about-northwestern-medicine.html. To learn more about Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital, visit nm.org/lfh.