MCC Trustees Vote Support For Centegra Hospital Proposal

McHenry County College Board of Trustees, at a meeting last evenng, joined others in voting support for the proposed Centegra Health System hospital for the southern part of McHenry County.

Five of the seven members were present including Barbara Walters, Carol Larson, George Lowe, Dennis Adams, and Ron Parrish

Susan Milford, Senior Vice President of Strategic Marketing for Centegra presented the plans for the facility to be located at Haligus Road and Reed Road on an existing campus of Centegra.

Ms. Milford told the MCC trustees that Centegra plans to build a 128-bed facility on land purchased four years ago when the existing healthcare campus was begun at that location.

She explained that the $233 million project demonstrates Centegra's continued commitment to providing access to high-quality healthcare that includes wellness services to comprehensive medical care for residents of the region.

The hospital is to include private patient rooms, state-of the-art-technology, and a bright and airy architectural design. The facility is planned to provide convenient healthcare services to the greater Huntley, Lake in the Hills, Algonquin, Carpentersville, Lakewood and southern Crystal Lake communities.

Centegra, a 100-year old health care provider, has a long-term partnership with MCC, coordinating all EMS courses and was instrumental in the nursing program at the college.

Ms. Milford also noted that Centegra is the only area provider of mental health services, even though they lose money in the process. She also noted that health care costs do not decrease by having competitors across the street. The Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board will consider the impact on other hospitals in the area. This agency did identify an 83-bed need in McHenry County with the second greatest need in northern Kane and southern Cook Counties.

The five MCC trustees present voted unanimously for the Centegra proposal, although it was mentioned that they should also hear from the other hospital project proposed by Mercy Health System for a 128-bed acute care facility to be located at Route 31 and Three Oaks Road, Crystal Lake.