The CommunityFrom the beginning, Rush conceived the Transformation as a way to rejuvenate not only the campus but also the lives of people who live around it. To achieve this aim, the Medical Center has been collaborating with local leaders and institutions to ensure that residents have the skills to establish promising careers — and to keep the West Side prospering long into the future.
To help build the new hospital tower, Rush recruited and helped provide training for construction workers from the area. Rush also encouraged each of the contractors working on the transformation to hire a designated number of community residents.
With about half of the Transformation projects still on the horizon, Rush will keep calling on workers from the community to help drive the ongoing rejuvenation of the Medical Center and the surrounding neighborhoods.
"That's what will have the most lasting impact on the community," says Terry Peterson, vice president for corporate and external affairs at Rush. "The new hospital building is beautiful and will be an amazing resource. But if you can provide people with training and a stable career path with a steady income — something that can help them give their kids more opportunities or move from renting to home ownership — those things will ensure the West Side thrives for years to come."