Huntley Says Support Centegra

 Huntley officials are reaching out to lend Centegra Health System a hand by spearheading an online petition supporting Centegra’s $233 million hospital.

The Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review is holding a public hearing Wednesday on the plan that calls for a 128-bed hospital on property adjacent to Centegra Health Bridge in Huntley. Centegra must apply for a Certificate of Need (CON) from the state health board in order to build the hospital, called Centegra-Huntley.

Mercy Health Care, with hospitals in northern McHenry County, is also seeking a CON for a similar hospital it would like to build in Crystal Lake.

Village staff send out e-mails to residents Friday outlining the project and asking residents to support Centegra by signing an online petition or writing a letter of support. The e-mail includes links for updates and a place for people to share their thoughts. There is also a way to print out a petition.

“As a Huntley resident or member of the business community, I hope you will take a moment of your time to show your support for the proposed hospital, and perhaps get your neighbors and friends involved in your effort,” Mayor Charles Sass wrote in the e-mail.

Centegra also links on the village’s website.

“We are partnering very closely with the village,” said Kim Kubiak, Centegra spokesman. “We appreciate their support. It will be a good thing for their community. Obviously, it will be a huge economic impact throughout the whole southern portion of the county.”

A new hospital would help boost Huntley’s economy with nearly 1,100 permanent jobs and 800 construction jobs, officials said. It is estimated to bring millions to the local economy.

“The new hospital will bring better access to healthcare for residents of southern McHenry County and northern Kane County, and local residents would have a state-of-the-art full-service hospital close to where they live and work,” Sass said in the e-mail.

Support from the village and its residents will be critical for Centegra, according to Huntley’s website. “We encourage you to become an active citizen throughout this process, and to get your friends, neighbors and co-workers involved in the process too. Remember, now is the most important time to voice your support for this project,” the website states.

Business Development Coordinator Margo Griffin said Huntley’s village board recently passed a resolution giving its support to Centegra’s plan, and the e-mail was the village’s first effort to reach out directly to residents for their support.

“It is a very big deal for the village of Huntley to get the hospital here, not only economically but also for our residents to get their needs met,” Griffin said, who expects a large crowd at Wednesday’s hearing.

“It will be, we hope, a win-win for everyone,” she said.

The hearing begins at 10 a.m. at the Village of Huntley Municipal Complex, 10987 Main St. Anyone is welcome to comment.  The review board will accept comments until April 20.