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Huntley hospital gains approval from state
The Illinois Health Facilities and Review Board approved Centegra Health System’s $233 million plan to build a hospital in Huntley by a 6-3 measure at its July 24 meeting.
The state of Illinois requires that major health care building projects be approved through a certificate of need process. Centegra submitted an application for a new hospital in December 2010. After two unsuccessful applications for approval in 2011 (an 8-1 vote against the proposal and a 4-4 tie), the hospital was finally approved.
“We’re very, very pleased,” said Susan Milford, senior vice president of strategic marketing for Centegra. “We really believe this is the right next step for the future of health care in the community.”
The 360,000-square-foot hospital is expected to open in 2016, with groundbreaking in about a year. Centegra officials said they will now proceed with final engineering and design components of the building. When completed, the hospital will feature 100 medical/surgical beds, an eight-bed intensive care unit, a full-service emergency department with a Level II trauma center, Level II special care nursery, non-invasive cardiology services, a helipad for transporting patients with the most critical needs and a dedicated women’s center.
Milford said Centegra has long considered Huntley a growing area in need of services, evidenced by the purchase of land in 2005.
The facility will be located on Centegra’s existing health and wellness campus at Reed and Haligus Roads. The campus houses an outpatient health center featuring Centegra Immediate Care and an advanced imaging center, physician offices, the Centegra Health Bridge Fitness Center and the Centegra Back and Spine Center.
Centegra estimates the hospital would require 800 construction jobs and said the facility is expected to employ 1,100 area residents.
“We’re so happy to bring this hospital to [our supporters],” Milford said. “This is really about what’s best and what’s right for health care in the community.”
On July 24, the health facilities board also voted to allow Mercy Health System to resubmit its plan for a $115 million hospital in Crystal Lake. The board denied the plan last year.
