The Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board granted SwedishAmerican Hospital a certificate of exemption to build a $2.8 million, 10-bed neonatal intensive care unit at its facility in Rockford, Ill., according to rrstar.com.
Officials said they plan to open the NICU in 2019. Officials also said SwedishAmerican will undergo a $128.2 million expansion during the next several years.
With the certificate, SwedishAmerican may apply to the Illinois Department of Public Health for a level III neonatal designation, the highest designation recognized in Illinois.
Mercyhealth, also in Rockford, previously objected to SwedishAmerican's plans to build the NICU, stating the addition of a second NICU in the area would "degrade services for the region's most at-risk patients," according to the report.