‘He’s the last person I’m going to be lectured by’; Rockford Mayor in dispute with Mercyhealth CEO over hospital sale

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — A dispute between Mercyhealth CEO Javon Bea and Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara has intensified over the potential sale of the former Rockford Memorial Hospital.

Bea accused the city of racial bias in handling the sale of the hospital’s Rockton Avenue campus, claiming that the city’s leadership was not supporting the investment efforts of a black entrepreneur.

“Now, when a black entrepreneur has stepped forward to invest in this property, the mayor has chosen not to support the effort but instead to undermine it. This is more than just shortsighted — it reflects a racially biased double standard,” Bea said in a statement released Wednesday.

Bea’s statement followed Mayor McNamara’s remarks on Tuesday, urging Mercyhealth to thoroughly vet potential buyers.

“The individual or organization that they provide this property to first needs a plan,” McNamara said in an interview. “Secondly, they need to make sure that this individual or organization has the financial wherewithal to actually perform that plan.”

Bea countered by stating that Mercyhealth had initially offered to donate the property to the city, but the offer was declined.

“Mercyhealth’s intent was to donate this property to the City of Rockford to use for community benefit. The mayor declined more than once,” Bea’s statement read.

The developer involved in the project has not been named, but McNamara reiterated the city’s commitment to prioritizing development on the west side.

“We want to see that development, that site, be productive. We are here for that. But we need partners who care about the residents of West Side of Rockford,” McNamara stated.

“The idea that this man [Bea] is going to come from Minnesota and tell me what we are or are not doing and what our values as a community is laughable. He’s the last person I’m going to be lectured by,” he added.

“We will stand up and fight for the residents in those neighborhoods to make sure that this health system and the board choose to do what is right.”

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by WTVO. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by WTVO staff before being published.