‘Disappointed’ Rockford Mayor McNamara vows to find new tenant for Mercyhealth’s Rockton site

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — The latest chapter of Mercyhealth’s Rockton Avenue Hospital has come to a close after the healthcare system announced Monday it would be suspending services at the facility.

“When it was first announced, I was incredibly disappointed. Held press conferences, requested a hearing from the state of Illinois, did a press conference, literally at the front steps of Mercy, expounding on my disappointment,” said Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara. “That disappointment remains today.”

In 2021, Mercyhealth eliminated inpatient services at the campus, moving emergency room services to the new Javon Bea Riverside hospital.

Mercyhealth’s CEO, Javon Bea, cited a decreased patient volume along with flooding concerns following a 2018 storm.

Mercyhealth’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. John Dorsey, says the company will keep the facility open.

“We’re not abandoning the West side, but we are modifying. But we are modifying based upon what we see the needs of the West side to be.”

Alderwoman Aprel Prunty (D-6th Ward) was born at the hospital, then known as Rockford Memorial. She grew up on the city’s West side, and said the loss of the facility will be felt across the city.

“It’s moving so far away from us. We’re thankful for the services that are still close to town, but this is a large community to have,” she said. “So many of the services so far east is challenging for many people. And so to lose more and more is just disheartening. It’s heartbreaking.”

Mercyhealth Vice President Kara Sankey issued a statement on Monday, saying, “We are actively looking for a developer that will utilize the hospital building for the benefit of the community. Among the potential uses we envision for the building include locations for social service agencies or a senior living facility.”

McNamara said the city’s focus will now shift toward finding a new tenant.

“We need to transition and say, what can we do with that site? To me, it’s unacceptable for that site to sit vacant for another decade. We need to make sure that it’s a new tenant, a new owner is there, and that it’s a productive property, a productive community resource to Northwest Rockford,” he said.

Mercyhealth said preliminary ideas for the future of the facility include social services agencies or a nursing home.