Placed on a PIP 3 days after ADA accommodation approval (MS Diagnosis). Looking for Illinois / IHRA exit settlement advice.

Hi everyone,

I am looking for some perspective on what to expect next and what to prepare for. I am a 10-year employee at a major hospital system in Cook County, Illinois (over 7,000 employees).
The Timeline:
March 2025: Promoted to my current role.
May 2025: Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
Late 2025: Had a family emergency (child mental health crisis) and ended up utilizing dual FMLA leave for my own health and my family.
Early 2026: Carried over heavy stress, cognitive brain fog, and had a severe trigeminal neuralgia flare-up.
March 2026: Initiated an ADA accommodation request.
May 26, 2026: My neurologist submitted the finalized medical forms. My doctor explicitly noted that MS flares impact my cognitive functions, concentration, and screen time, and requested a flexible schedule, frequent breaks, and work-from-home options.
June 29, 2026: After a 34-day administrative delay (and two written follow-ups from me), HR finally approved my accommodations.
July 2, 2026 (3 days later): I was placed on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) during a virtual meeting.
The PIP Flaws & Job Stripping:
The PIP penalizes me for performance dips that occurred in mid-May—the exact window when the hospital was delaying my requested medical accommodations.
Furthermore, the reasons given are completely minor or outside my job scope. For example, I am being disciplined because a box of business cards arrived in the mailroom and the mailroom staff never notified anyone of the delivery. The PIP also notes that I struggle with administrative bottlenecks running a multi-institution tumor board meeting.
However, I just discovered that the hospital is actively posting a job description to hire a higher-level "Program Manager." The posted description explicitly states this new manager will be taking over the tumor board meetings and the business cards.
Where things stand today:
I refused to sign the PIP in our HR system. Instead, I sent a calm, factual, emotion-free email response to my manager objecting to the PIP's basis, outlining the 34-day accommodation delay, the 3-day turnaround, and the mailroom/job-stripping contradictions. I have also downloaded and saved all 10 years of my positive performance reviews, the job postings, and my accommodation email trails to my personal devices.
My ultimate goal is to negotiate a structured, out-of-court exit settlement (lump-sum severance and employer-paid COBRA insurance to protect my upcoming neurological infusion appointments) through the free Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) mediation process, cross-filed with the EEOC.
My questions for the group:
For those in Illinois who have gone through the IDHR / EEOC dual-filing process, how long did it take to get invited to voluntary mediation?
If the hospital refuses mediation, what are the chances their corporate legal team steps in and orders HR to drop the PIP to avoid a retaliation lawsuit?
What should I expect once my employer has been notified of my complaint and how should I protect myself while working under my active accommodations in the meantime?

Thanks in advance for any insights or experiences you can share.