Rockford pastor: West side 'abandoned, misled and even betrayed' by Mercyhealth
ROCKFORD — When Janie Wilson-Cook's daughter fell into a campfire in 1996, the girl suffered second- and third-degree burns.
Wilson-Cook told the Illinois Health Facilities & Services Review Board that luckily the southwest Rockford family lived just 8 minutes from what was then called Rockford Memorial Hospital on Rockton Avenue. The girl was treated so well she doesn't even have a scar.
But when Wilson-Cook's husband suffered chest pains in September 2021, the couple could not find the medical help he needed on the west side of Rockford, at least not without an exorbitant co-pay.
Wilson-Cook on Wednesday was among dozens who submitted verbal and written testimony opposing the closure of 70 in-patient hospital beds at the Javon Bea Hospital-Rockton Avenue campus, 2400 N. Rockton Ave.
"There was no recourse but to drive to the Mercyhealth Urgent Care facility on Perryville Road, another 20 minutes away on the far east side," Wilson-Cook told the board. "They did some testing and sent him home. Six hours later they called back and pleaded for him to go to the Mercyhealth emergency room at Perryville Road and Riverside Boulevard. This is the absolute farthest diagonal point in the city from our house on Montague Road."
Her story was one of many opposing the loss of inpatient medical services on Rockford's west side submitted Wednesday during a virtual public hearing and in writing. Mercyhealth is seeking a certificate of exemption to close inpatient services on the Rockton Avenue campus.
A decision is expected at the Health Facilities & Services Review Board's March 15 meeting. Written comments are being accepted until Feb. 23.
Previously: Mercyhealth gets OK to close Rockford mental health unit
More: Mercyhealth to cut some Rockton Avenue emergency services
Mercyhealth opened the hearing with a presentation and had several employees sign up for public comment in an effort to justify the reduction in services on Rockton Avenue. They said the changes would improve patient care and efficiency, recognizing the difficulties with staffing shortages and economic realities of health care.
Residents and elected officials rallied by Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara accused Mercyhealth of breaking its promises to maintain hospital services on the Rockton Avenue campus after opening the new Javon Bea Hospital-Riverside campus.
"We all knew this day was inevitable when Mercy came to our community just seven years ago," McNamara said, accusing the healthy care system of putting profits first.
Mercyhealth in November announced that it is moving inpatient care services and surgeries from its Rockton Avenue campus to its Riverside Boulevard campus, closing 70 inpatient surgical beds. The plan is to gather outpatient care and surgeries on the Rockton Avenue campus.
The hospital also plans to convert the emergency room into a stand-by emergency room staffed by a nurse with an emergency room doctor on call. Although Mercyhealth had announced the change would take place in December, the shift to standby status has not yet been put in place and is expected to proceed soon, Mercyhealth officials said.
Mercyhealth CEO Javon Bea focused his comments at the hearing on severe flooding in June 2018. He blamed the flooding that caused as much as $30 million in damage and the continuing risk of flooding on the city of Rockford and on McNamara.
Mercyhealth and its insurance provider are continuing to pursue lawsuits against the city.
Bea demanded that the city pay for $6 million worth of stormwater improvements in the area to alleviate some of the flood risk.
Bea also said that he is from the west side of Rockford and that Mercyhealth has invested more than $100 million in the hospital campus.
Bea said there are no plans to close the Rockton Avenue campus. He said the hospital has invested in a new gastroenterology suite, new oncology department, an orthopedics suite, radiology and interventional radiology upgrades, pharmacy upgrades, a new emergency medical services training center, lab analyzers and new helipad among other improvements.
"Mercy desperately needs the Rockton Avenue location to stay open because we cannot offer all of the hospital-based outpatient services at the Riverside location." Bea said. "However, the constant risk of severe flooding because of the mayor's lack of support is a looming threat that we need to keep in mind as we evaluate appropriate levels of care at both of our campus locations."
But residents blamed the hospital itself for the flooding on the Rockton Avenue campus, saying it had paved it over for parking.
The Rev. K. Edward Copeland of New Zion Baptist Church, said flooding was a distraction and an excuse to continue a systematic reduction in services.
"We've been watching over the last seven years of just continued excuses for disinvestment," Copeland said. "You've heard directly from Mr. Bea that the real problem is that the mayor won't come up with $6 million, but hey, we put in over $100 million and for some reason didn't do our due diligence as it relates to the flooding issue in the area."
Jim Roberts of the Greater Rockford Clergy Association said that he has seen businesses, restaurants and services move from the west side of the city, but was happy that at least there was a high quality hospital on Rockton Avenue.
Roberts said that may no longer be the case as emergency, mental health and other services have been reduced.
"We prayed this would not happen, but we've watched services over and over be removed piece by piece, brick by brick from the west side and from Rockton Avenue, the former Rockford Memorial," Roberts said. "We feel abandoned and misled and even betrayed."
Jeff Kolkey: jkolkey@rrstar.com; @jeffkolkey
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Mercyhealth CEO Javon Bea defends Rockford hospital changes
