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Teamsters, nurses protest outside Endeavor offices. Dozens of nurses from Evanston Hospital rallied Wednesday morning outside of Endeavor Health's administrative offices on Central Street, alleging the administration has engaged in intimidation and anti-unionization activities amid union organizing efforts by nurses. The nurses, joined by Teamsters Joint Council 25 and Teamsters Local 743, allege that two Evanston Hospital nurses were fired after participating in union organizing efforts in May, with Teamsters representatives hand-delivering a letter to an administrator demanding that the nurses be reinstated and that unionization efforts be supported. Rep. Jesús "Chuy" Garcia (D-Chicago) and Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Evanston) have both publicly condemned the health system's behavior, with Schakowsky writing in a social media post last week that she stands "with these nurses and am deeply concerned by allegations that union supporters were fired amid organizing efforts." Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias joined the protesters Wednesday morning in Evanston, as did State Senate District 9 Democratic nominee Patrick Hanley, expected to represent most of Evanston in Springfield next year. Cook County Commissioner Josina Morita was also present, along with State Sen. Lakesia Collins of Chicago. "For this company to not let nurses organize, unionize, for them not to show respect, for the people that love us and take care of us more than anyone else in the world, is shameful, it's dangerous, and we will not allow it," Giannoulias said. Union leaders said that the Teamsters had filed "multiple charges" with the National Labor Relations Board against Endeavor Health, alleging violations of federal law. Thousands of nurses at several Endeavor hospitals, including Evanston, Skokie, Glenbrook and Highland Park, announced during Nurses' Week that they would seek to unionize, citing concerns about pay cuts, unsafe working conditions and staffing issues not being addressed by Endeavor. Endeavor intensive-care unit nurse Stacy Oswald said she felt Endeavor "priorities profits over people," calling it a nationwide "epidemic... happening in our community, too." "While our pay was taken away, management got bonuses," Oswald said. "Safety concerns led a lot of nurses to leave Endeavor for better, more stable positions elsewhere. The hemorrhaging of nurses leaving Endeavor for better opportunities has only continued." The two senior intensive-care unit nurses fired, unionization leaders said, were dismissed in early May after dropping off gift bags with union information to nurses at Evanston Hospital, and were suspended without pay after a 12-hour night shift. They were then allegedly fired for "misrepresenting themselves [by] wearing their work badges and scrubs while also wearing a union T-shirt," Tricia Poreda told WBEZ. Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss was not present at the protest, but did send a letter to Endeavor Health President and CEO, J.P. Gallagher, on June 1, writing that he had been made aware of nurses who had "reported experiencing a series of retaliatory measures that have prompted Teamsters Local 743 to file charges against Endeavor at the National Labor Relations Board." "Evanston Hospital is an important pillar in our city, providing health care services to our community," Biss wrote in the letter shared with Evanston Now. "I want to be clear that Evanston has no tolerance for retaliatory measures taken against employees for engaging in union organizing activity, or for any other anti-union practices that violate the National Labor Relations Act or other federal, state, or local laws." In a statement to Evanston Now, a spokesperson for Endeavor Health said the following: We carefully review each individual employment action to ensure compliance with all applicable laws. We fully respect the federally-protected rights of our nurses to engage and make an informed choice about union representation. While respecting these rights, we must prioritize the safety, privacy, and care of our patients and team members and maintain consistent enforcement of our workplace policies. We strive to create an environment where our team members feel valued and supported and have continuous opportunity for engagement and development. We are appreciative of the long-term commitment and dedication so many of our team members have made to our patients and each other and believe patients are best served through a direct relationship between team members and management. At this time, no Endeavor Health hospitals are represented by unions.

Edward Hospital to expand cardiovascular services with nearly $29 million project. Posted March 28, 2026 12:15 pm The Edward Hospital campus in Naperville is home to a lot of firsts. "We were the first heart hospital in the state of Illinois. We're the first ambulatory surgery center to be built in the Chicagoland area. We put our stake in the ground for cardiovascular care in the Western suburbs," says Yvette Saba, president of Endeavor Health Edward Hospital. But with only 20 operating rooms, it's experiencing capacity constraints. Citing a rapidly aging population in its primary service area, the hospital told state regulators the "projected demand for cardiac, vascular and thoracic surgery is expected to be high." So Endeavor plans a nearly $29 million project to expand cardiovascular services at Edward Hospital. The project calls for adding two new operating rooms and relocating two existing ones to the fourth floor of the Edward Heart Hospital. The project also includes a new, 10-bed intensive care unit on the fourth floor of the tower. "We're the downtown hospital in the suburbs, and there is a need in our market, and no one should have to leave their community for cardiovascular care," Saba said. "We know our limits. We will never do a transplant. There's certain things we won't ever do, but we'll do everything pretty much up and close to that." Endeavor Health plans a new, 10-bed intensive care unit on the fourth floor of the Edward Heart Hospital in Naperville as part of a nearly $29 million project. Rendering courtesy of Endeavor Health Earlier this month, the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board approved a certificate of need permit for the project. The board's vote comes almost two years after Endeavor unveiled a 170,000-square-foot cardiovascular institute pavilion at Glenbrook Hospital in Glenview. A striking new stand-alone building on the Naperville hospital campus houses what Endeavor says is the first cardiac ambulatory surgical center in the Chicago region. It was built to offer outpatient services for cardiac catheterizations and electrophysiology procedures that were typically done in hospital settings. "Even moving out the outpatients to the ambulatory surgery center still demonstrated a need for our inpatient ORs," Saba said. Those cases that remain in the hospital "tend to be more complex, with longer procedural times," according to the hospital's permit application. As a result of the project, Edward will have 22 operating rooms. "With that capacity, it will really allow our patients with cardiovascular disease, those that were requiring cardiac surgery, to get their cardiac surgery in a very timely manner, without waiting and not seeking other hospitals or institutions... like a Northwestern in the city when we can do it, but our capacity was an issue," said Cathy Smith, system vice president for the Endeavor Health Cardiovascular Institute. The 10 additional ICU beds will "expand access to critical care by easing patient wait times for admission during peak demand and emergencies," Edward noted in the application, which the state board received this past October. Edward's ICUs have consistently operated above 70% occupancy for more than five years. The state standard is 60%. Endeavor Health will add intensive care unit beds as part of a nearly $29 million project to expand cardiovascular services at Edward Hospital in Naperville. A rendering shows an ICU nurse station. Rendering courtesy of Endeavor Health The goal is to complete the project by the end of December 2027. The hospital says it also will support physician recruitment and retention. "Reliable access to OR time allows physicians to use their time more efficiently and maximize productivity, which is essential as the state of Illinois faces critical shortages in certain physician specialties," the application reads. Saba stressed the importance of having "these regionalized destinations." "There's a shortage of surgeons, cardiovascular surgeons. There's a shortage of cardiologists. There's a shortage of cardiac anesthesiologists. There's a shortage of nurses that can do this specialty," she said. "So when you have large volume and a single site where you can consolidate your resources... having all that in one place, not having to duplicate those resources a lot of different places, we'll bring the best of the best to our organizations to provide the care." - Daily Herald correspondent Alicia Fabbre contributed to this report.