Mercyhealth to open new cancer institute on Riverside Boulevard in Rockford, a move spurred by 2018 floods
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Mercyhealth is on the cusp of opening a new 19,000-square-foot facility that will provide all aspects of cancer care from detection through various treatment options.
The Mercyhealth Cancer Institute will welcome its first patients on Monday at 8201 E. Riverside Blvd., adjacent to the Javon Bea Hospital-Riverside.
Mercyhealth was spurred to build the institute by a June 2018 flood that caused $30 million in damages to Mercyhealth’s Rockton Avenue hospital campus, where cancer care is currently provided. That care now moves to Riverside. Javon Bea, Mercyhealth’s chief executive, said the threat of another flood and the inability for it to get insurance coverage on Rockton Avenue drove the decision to move.
“The flood is very unfortunate — $30 million in damage, not being able to get new insurance — but out of that we were able to produce a better cancer center,” Bea said. “A more integrated, comprehensive cancer center.”
The approximately $10 million project was designed by BWBR Architects, which is based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Construction was led by Minneapolis-based Mortenson Construction, which also led the building of Javon Bea Hospital-Riverside.
“With the opening of this new institute, we plan to take (the cancer care team’s) exceptional care to the next level,” Bea said. “Our services here are going to span the entire spectrum of cancer care from prevention and early detection through treatment and survivorship.”
“From advanced medical imaging, oncology, hematology, radiation oncology and surgical oncology, we’ll have all of the services integrated under one roof,” Bea said. “It’s going to make it much more convenient for patients to go to other medical appointments, to pick up their medication at Mercyhealth’s pharmacy to go to their PT and OT appointments, and in the event of an emergency we’re only a few seconds away from a Level 1 trauma center.”
The approximately $10 million project was designed by BWBR Architects, which is based in St. Paul, Minnesota, with additional offices that include a hub in Madison, Wisconsin. It was built by Minneapolis-based Mortenson Construction. Bea said it was designed and built with “comfort, convenience and truly and atmosphere of healing.”
Mercyhealth celebrated the ribbon-cutting of the new institute on Thursday with Mercyhealth physicians, board members and staff and others including Mayor Tom McNamara.
“They have amazing doctors and I’m excited to see the expansion of cancer care in our community,” McNamara said. “Cancer never hits at a good time, and I think the work that they do not just for the patient but the entire family – and not just the health care but the holistic care – is really admirable.”
The institute provides medical and radiation oncology services, including the use of a highly advance linear accelerator that can target cancer cells while minimizing exposure to healthy tissue. It also offers social services, genetic counseling, nutrition services, pain management, palliative care, spiritual care, rehabilitation services and support groups.
The supportive services are designed to provide a holistic and compassionate care plan that can be tailored to individual patients.
“We also celebrate milestones here with the ringing of a brass bell, whether that’s the first chemo, the last chemo session that’s completed, the last radiation treatment, other milestones,” said Dr. John Dorsey, chief medical officer. “That sound of the bell serves as an inspiration for all who hear it.”
The institute also has the ability to participate in clinical trials for treatment.
“So we can offer here in Rockford cutting-edge treatment even before they become widely available,” Dorsey said.
Bea said that although the threat of a flood spurred the move of cancer care, Mercyhealth is committed to continue to run its physician clinic on Rockton, where it has more than 500 employees and offers a number of medical specialties.
“We’re going to be there,” he said. “We’ll be there with those jobs and all those specialties in the Mercyhealth Physician Clinic.”
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas
