Rockford Sun

Mercy Rockford Health System issued the following announcement on Sept. 11.

The Mercyhealth Board of Directors will be announcing at the press conference today the Mercyhealth Corporation Board of Director’s decision to recognize the almost unprecedented organizational growth and success over 30 years of Javon Bea to Mercyhealth with a unanimous board resolution to name Mercyhealth Hospital in Rockford to “Javon Bea Hospital.” The hospital has one hospital license for both its locations.

“So many major factors contributed to the Board’s decision to recognize Javon’s almost unbelievable accomplishments since joining Mercy in 1989. The sweeping changes he has made since 1989 have resulted in unprecedented growth, enhanced patient care, improved access and long-term stability. Javon has demonstrated an unwavering 30-year commitment to improving the health and well-being of the over 2.4 million patients Mercyhealth serves each year. The Mercyhealth Corporation Board of Directors felt it was the right time to recognize his dedication, for his entrepreneurial spirit, and for his ever-present commitment to doing the next right thing for our patients and employee/partners. He has done a tremendous job,” said Mercyhealth Board of Directors Board Chairman Rowland J. McClellan.

Bea joined Mercyhealth in 1989, when Mercy was a single, stand-alone community hospital, with more square footage than patients. It was struggling to meet payroll. Today, under Javon’s leadership, Mercyhealth has grown from these humble beginnings—serving less than 89,000 patient visits a year, with no employed physicians, 450 employees and a negative bottom line—into an integrated health system serving over 2.4 million patient visits a year with 7 hospitals, 89 primary and specialty care facilities in 55 communities across southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois, a home health and hospice division, and the wholly owned and operated MercyCare insurance company which has experienced tremendous growth since its inception. Mercyhealth now employs over 750 physicians, 8,000-plus employee/partners, and has gross revenue of over $3 billion.

A Rockford native, Bea has a long history in the region. He was born and raised on the far west side, the youngest of 12. As a child, he delivered newspapers and worked at the hospital on Rockton Avenue, where his interest in health care was piqued. He received a college scholarship from the Rockford Memorial Hospital Auxiliary. “We could have chosen any Mercyhealth facility to dedicate in the name of Javon Bea, but since he was born and raised in Rockford, it is truly a testament to Javon’s life that we chose the Mercy Rockford Hospital for this dedication. This is his home,” said McClellan.

In 2015, Javon brought the plan to merge with Rockford Health System to the Board of Directors. “He talked about the partnership as the ‘next right thing to do,’ as Rockford Health System was struggling financially and had lost $48.7 million dollars over its last five years. With Javon’s 30-year history of creating, growing and developing the successful Mercyhealth, we knew Javon had what it would take to turn Rockford Health System around and improve healthcare for the greater Rockford region. And, in fact, Bea turned Rockford Health System around in one short year, from averaging net losses of almost $10 million dollars a year for the previous five years to net income of $27 million dollars a year while continuing to help those in need as the largest Medicaid and charitable care provider in northern Illinois outside of Cook County, providing tens of millions of dollars in Medicaid and free care each year,” said McClellan.

“Javon has always exhibited a strong work ethic, creativity and perseverance. He has worked incredibly hard his entire life to arrive where he is today. It is his commitment, drive, passion and vision ‘to do the next right thing’ that has allowed Mercyhealth to develop into the vibrant, patient-focused system it is today. Javon was instrumental in bringing the very best healthcare close to home by creating a vertically integrated health system that employs world-class physicians and specialists and provides Mercyhealth patients with outstanding coordinated care,” said McClellan.

“I am very humbled the Board decided to acknowledge my leadership with this tremendous recognition. It has been a privilege to serve the northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin region for 30 years. I could not have accomplished any of this without the steadfast commitment of the Mercyhealth family and my sincere gratitude goes out to our all our physicians, leadership and employee/partners for their passion for making lives better each and every day. I will continue to do my very best to live up to this honor working together as a community to improve the health of those we serve,” said Bea.

Original source can be found here.

Source: Mercy Rockford Health System