Critics Join Together Opposing Centegra, Mercy

Centegra Health Care System has been doing a media and public relations blitz for months publicizing its plan to build a Huntley hospital, sending regular updates to the media and using its website to generate support.

Critics of Centegra’s plan have been just as busy launching a counter blitz; raising questions like does the area really need more hospital beds.

Sherman Hospital in Elgin has been vocal about its opposition arguing that there is a surplus of beds at area hospitals, which means the area doesn’t need additional beds.

The Elgin hospital also was among the first to make the argument that Centegra’s project would threaten its ability to offer what is termed as the “safety net,” the amount of charity hospitals provide to the poor and uninsured. Funding for that charitable work comes from revenues hospitals make from insured patients. A Huntley hospital would take away those patients from Sherman, officials said.

Recently, Sherman joined forces with Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington and St. Alexius Hospital in Hoffman Estates in requesting the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board postpone its decision. The hospitals argued a 2009 law passed after two incidents of corruption on the review board requires the Illinois Public Health Department to create a Center for Comprehensive Health Planning that would develop a master plan for building health care facilities, analyzing Certificate of Need applications and determining whether they fit into the master plan, according to Sherman’s attorneys.

The Center has not been created so the board should delay the decision on Centegra’s and Mercy Health System’s CON applications.

Such a delay would take a while since legislators have not funded the Center.

Since the state has not funded the initiative, “we are really not sure if that has any merit,” said Susan Milford, Centegra Health System's Senior Vice President of Strategic Marketing & Planning and Wellness Services.  

Milford has been surprised by the number of hospitals opposing Centega’s plan “given we live in this community and have been providing health care for 100 years in this community,” she said.

Mercy’s Vice President, Rich Gruber, however, is not surprised. “It’s totally understandable,” he said. “The existing providers are interested in preserve their existing market share. The fact is Advocate (Good Shepherd) and Sherman are in the middle of merger conversations.”

“I believe their criticism is somewhat disingenuous,” he said.