A Winnebago County judge on Tuesday denied a motion to keep open the Singer Mental Health Center in Rockford. The request was made by the Illinois Nurses Association, which is suing to get a judicial review of the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board's decision to grant a permit to close Singer.
The plaintiffs wanted the judge to order a delay in closing the facility while the judicial review takes place. But the judge said they didn't make a convincing argument that Singer should stay open during the process. That means Singer will close on Wednesday this week. Specifically, the judge said there are currently no patients at Singer, and that it would be too difficult to re-hire top staff members.
Meanwhile, a court hearing has been scheduled for November 15th in relation to the lawsuit.
Singer is one of several facility closures being carried out by the governor. Pat Quinn's administration says the move will pave the way for more community-based care. Some of the savings from the closure will go toward a new network of mental health services in the region.