Mercy Rockford Health System issued the following announcement on Dec. 7.
Mercyhealth’s official dedication, blessing and ribbon cutting to the new Javon Bea Hospital and Physician Clinic–Riverside brought hundreds of invited guests to a ceremony on Wednesday, December 5.
“Today marks a very special moment as we formally dedicate and bless Mercyhealth’s Javon Bea Hospital and Physician Clinic–Riverside, which will be providing healing and life-saving services to the residents living in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin,” said Mercyhealth President & CEO Javon R. Bea, whom the hospital’s board named the new facility after.
The new Riverside Campus was blessed by Monsignor Daniel Deutsch, the Pastor of St. Bridget Parish in Loves Park. The 563,000 square foot, 194-bed hospital will serve adults and children.
Mercyhealth broke ground on the new 6-story, $505 million hospital and physician clinic on June 6, 2016–28 months ago. Since that time, Bea said AECOM, Mortenson and all the contractors, as well as Mercyhealth Vice President of Architecture and Facilities, Joanna Benning, who led the construction project, ensured its timely progress. Over 2,000 employee/partners have spent 34,000 hours of education and training on the processes and procedures related to the new equipment.
“It has been so incredible getting to this point working together in my hometown,” said Bea, as he gave a heartfelt thank you to the crowd. “It is difficult for people not involved to understand the magnitude and scope of a project like this, but I can tell you, it has been truly remarkable.”
At the dedication, blessing and ribbon cutting of the new hospital, Bea was joined by Mercyhealth Board Chairman Rowland “Rollie” McClellan, as well as Illinois State Senator Dave Syverson, Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara, Winnebago County Chairman Frank Haney, Rockford Chamber of Commerce President Einar Forsman, and Rockford Area Economic Development Council CEO Nathan Bryant, who all praised the economic benefits of Mercyhealth brining a new, state-of-the-art hospital to the region as well as continuing the operations of a hospital on Rockford’s west side.
“Whether it was Harvard or Janesville or Lake Geneva or all the other locations, when Mercy comes into that community, you can count on increased health care services, more staffing, more investments being made, and in each of those communities you see improved outcomes,” said Syverson, who has sat on Mercyhealth’s board for 15 years.
Mercyhealth’s Javon Bea Hospital and Physician Clinic–Riverside will complement the $50 million commitment already made to the Javon Bea Hospital and Physician Clinic–Rockton, which will continue to provide exceptional health care services for all ages.
Original source can be found here.
Source: Mercy Rockford Health System
Alerts Sign-up