Freeport’s FHN hospital to merge with Mercyhealth

FREEPORT, Ill. (WTVO) — On Tuesday, FHN announced its healthcare organization would become part of Mercyhealth.

“By joining forces with Mercyhealth, we are taking an active step to preserve and strengthen care for our patients,” said Mark Gridley, FHN President and CEO. “In Mercyhealth, we have found an organization that shares our strong history of providing care in rural communities and can also provide our patients with greater access to Mercyhealth’s advanced clinical expertise and specialty care centers.”

Mercyhealth has committed to investing $100 million in FHN over the next five years, funding major capital projects, including a new linear accelerator for the Leonard C. Ferguson Cancer Center and a robotic surgical system.

FHN cited financial struggles as the reason for the merger.

“I have a great deal of respect for Mr. Gridley. He kept the facility operating independently in a tough economic environment where more than 750 hospitals nation-wide are at risk of closing, including 16 in Illinois,” said Mercyhealth President & CEO Javon Bea. “This decision ensures that FHN’s legacy of service and high-quality patient care continues long into the future.”

The merger is expected to be completed by December 31st, 2025.

Last week, FHN announced it would be withdrawing from a plan to provide hospital services in Roscoe under a proposed initiative with Beloit Health System.

Under the provisions of that initial agreement, FHN would have allocated 10 hospital beds from Freeport to the NorthPointe Neighborhood Hospital.

“Unfortunately, Mercy’s acquisition seems to prioritize limiting access rather than expanding or enhancing care. This move follows the closure of Rockford Memorial Hospital, which has already further reduced immediate healthcare coverage for residents in our region. As previously reported, FHN supported and understood the importance of the NorthPointe Neighborhood Hospital project. Mercy Health’s acquisition of FHN has led to FHN removing themselves from the project,” Beloit Health System said in a statement.

Beloit Health System alone had submitted a similar plan in September, which failed to receive enough votes from the board to win approval from the Illinois Health and Facilities Board.

As of now, anyone calling 911 near NorthPointe will be transported by ambulance to Rockford or Beloit. The addition of an emergency room on NorthPointe’s campus would allow more people to be taken care of closer to home.

NorthPointe Wellness Center, at 5605 E. Rockton Road, has continued to provide improvements for patients over the years. In 2015, the campus received approval from the state for outpatient surgery, and in 2023, it added a free-standing birth center as well.