ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Mercyhealth CEO Javon Bea has accused the city of racial bias over the potential sale of Rockford Memorial Hospital, after the mayor called on the hospital's board of directors to vet a buyer without “a proven track record.”

Mercyhealth closed the Rockton Avenue campus in July, saying preliminary ideas for the facility included social services agencies or a nursing home.

The Wisconsin-based healthcare company eliminated inpatient services at the Rockton campus in 2020, relocating emergency room services to its new Javon Bea Mercyhealth Riverside hospital.

Mercyhealth said the move was necessary after decreased volume in its emergency departments, an increase in telemedicine, and lower surgery volumes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Mercyhealth’s intent was to don

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