Roscoe, IL

State puts Northpointe Neighborhood Hospital on hold

Freeport Health backs out of plan, no future date set for state's approval vote

Adam Neblock

Sep 24, 2025 — 3 min read

The Northpointe Neighborhood Hospital plan was to be put to a vote by the Illinois Health and Facilities Review Board on September 25, 2025 at a public meeting. It was set as the last item on the agenda. Now, consideration of the proposed neighborhood hospital, a 10-bed facility with operating room and emergency room as a joint venture between Beloit Health System and Freeport Health Network, has been removed from the agenda entirely.

On September 17, 2025, Mark Gridley, president and CEO of Freeport, notified the IL Health and Facilities Review Board that FHN was withdrawing from participating in the project and that FHN would not be relinquishing the 10 beds from its inventory to Northpointe Neighborhood Hospital. Mr. Gridley maintained that participating in this project was "based on longer term strategic planning needs."

On the same date, Beloit Health System President and CEO Timothy McKevett also mailed the IHFSRB, informing the state that while FHN has backed out from the hospital plan (informing BHS on September 16th of its decision), Beloit Health system would proceed with its application as sole member of the hospital plan.

"Beloit Health System will serve as the sole member of the new Illinois corporation," wrote McKevett. "Nonetheless, our planned hospital remains aligned with the principles of health planning."

Given the eight day notice provided to the IHFSRB prior to their September 25 meeting, the HFSRB issued a letter on September 17 to both BHS and FHN as formal notification that the state has deferred consideration of the Northpointe Neighborhood Hospital's certificate of need application. No future date has been set for consideration at this time.

The IHFSRB has released a series of public documents concerning this decision and more. You can read more about the NPNH plans and the over 58 support and 66 opposition letters here.

Some notable support letters were submitted by mayors/village presidents and fire chiefs of Roscoe, Rockton, and South Beloit, State Senator Andrew Chesney, State Representative John Cabello.

Some notable opposition includes letters from outlying State Senators and Representatives (Syverson, West, Stadelman), Loves Park Mayor Gregory Jury, and Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara.