Crusader & Mercyhealth Collaborate to Provide OB/GYN Care
Crusader Community Health and Mercyhealth are pleased to announce their clinical collaboration to transition Crusader OB/GYN care and privileges to Mercyhealth’s Rockford Memorial Hospital (Mercyhealth Rockton Ave. Campus) and its new state of the art $485 million I-90/Riverside hospital and medical center that will specialize in Women’s and Children’s Services. Crusader will transition its OB/GYN provider privileges to Mercyhealth on January 1, 2017.
Mercyhealth is the only designated Level III Perinatal Center (the highest designation according to the Illinois Department of Public Health) in the northwest Illinois region and serves a 15 County northern Illinois/southern Wisconsin region. When the I-90/Riverside hospital and medical center campus in Rockford is completed in January 2019, Mercyhealth will move their Level III Perinatal Center and Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit from their Rockton Avenue campus to the new hospital and medical center campus on I-90/Riverside Boulevard.
Crusader delivers approximately 1,100 babies annually via a 24/7/365 hospital-based staffing model with exceptional Crusader-employed physicians and certified nurse midwives. For many years, Crusader has delivered babies and performed gynecological services at SwedishAmerican Hospital, a division of UW Health.
Gordon Eggers, Jr., Crusader Community Health, President & CEO, stated, “Our collaboration with Mercyhealth will provide the highest level of perinatal and neonatal services to our patients. We are excited to begin this new partnership and it is in the best interest of our patients to provide a high level and continuity of care right here in the Rockford community.”
A significant percentage of Crusader obstetric patients are designated high risk. As such, it was the consensus of Crusader Providers, Executive Management and Board of Directors that patients would additionally benefit from on-site hospital care in the Northwest Illinois Level III Perinatal Center at Mercyhealth.
“Crusader Community Health provides exceptional primary care services and is outstanding at what they do. This will be a great partnership because Mercyhealth provides exceptional subspecialty services and hospital care. It will be wonderful to team up with Crusader to provide exceptional care together with our passion for making lives better,” said Javon R. Bea, President and CEO of Mercyhealth.
Gordon Eggers, Jr., Crusader Community Health, President & CEO, stated, “SwedishAmerican is an excellent health system. Their physicians and staff are highly skilled and have provided Crusader patients and staff with a very professional work environment while providing high quality care. We are thankful for our long-standing relationship with SwedishAmerican’s excellent management team and look forward to continuing our joint efforts in other care areas.”
Crusader will work with both health systems to ensure a smooth transition. Initially, the deliveries will be moved to the Mercyhealth – Rockton Avenue campus and then transitioned to the new hospital and medical center campus on I90/Riverside in January 2019.
About Crusader Community Health
Crusader is the largest independent primary care practice in the area. Crusader is a community based, not-for-profit organization, whose mission is to serve the Rock River Valley area with quality, primary health care for people in need. Services are available on a sliding discount basis. Crusader Community Health has five locations: 1200 West State Street & Broadway & 7th Street, Rockford; 1050 Logan Ave., Belvidere; 6115 North 2nd, Loves Park and the Crusader School-Based Health Center at Auburn High School. Crusader on Alpine, a new 22,000 square foot facility will open in April 2017. To schedule an appointment call 815-490-1600 or for more information on Crusader Community Health visit: www.crusaderhealth.org.
About Mercyhealth
Mercyhealth (formerly MercyRockford Health System) was formed in January 2015 through the merger of Mercy Health System and Rockford Health System. Today, Mercyhealth is a vertically integrated, not-for-profit multi-regional health system comprising five hospitals, a wholly-owned insurance company, more than 750 employed physicians and over 85 primary and specialty care medical centers and clinics across more than 60 communities in 15 northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin counties. Mercyhealth provides over 75 specialty and sub-specialty specialty services, including neonatal and pediatric intensive care, perinatal care, neurosurgery (brain and spine), heart and vascular care, cancer care, plastic and reconstructive surgery, da Vinci robotic surgery and much more. For more information visit: www.mercyhealthsystem.org