By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Winnebago County Board members are asking Mercyhealth to rethink its decision to remove inpatient services from its Rockton Avenue campus.
The board on Thursday unanimously approved a resolution saying the health care company should “reconsider its decision to consolidate services at its two campuses, and specifically its plan to stop providing inpatient services at its Rockton Avenue campus.”
That vote comes about two weeks after a public hearing called by Mayor Tom McNamara, who asked the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board to prevent Mercyhealth from going forward with the consolidation.
Related: Mercyhealth says the only thing that could close its west side hospital is a flood
The state board is taking written comments from the public, which will include the County Board’s resolution, through Feb. 23. The state board is scheduled to meet and vote on the matter March 15.
“We understand Mercyhealth, but we also understand that our constituents and our residents need these services and they have to be available and they have to be accessible,” said Burt Gerl, a Republican who represents District 15. “This move would not make it accessible to many residents, especially those (who) live west, north and south of the Rock River.”
Mercyhealth plans to consolidate its inpatient services at its Riverside Boulevard campus, removing 70 inpatient beds from the Rockton Avenue campus. As part of the consolidation, the health system’s Rockton Avenue campus transitioned to a standby emergency department consisting of nurses and a physician on call. Patients requiring emergency care are treated at the Javon Bea Hospital-Riverside.
Related: McNamara says Mercyhealth’s focus on flooding is ‘a smokescreen’
The Rockton Avenue campus would be converted to an outpatient service center that would specialize in gastrointestinal cancer.
“Our position as County Board members and elected members who represent the county west and north and south of the Rock River (is) that it is in the best interest of residents to have emergency services available to them as fast as they can have it, especially on the west side of Rockford,” said Gerl, who is chairman of the County Board’s Public Safety and Judiciary Committee.
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas.