Centegra Health System's certificate of need to build a new hospital in Huntley now faces a legal challenge from three of its rivals.

Mercy Health System and Sherman Health have filed requests for administrative review in Will County regarding the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board's granting of a certificate of need to Centegra to build a $233 million, 128-bed hospital. Advocate Health Care is expected to file its own request today.

The board voted July 24, 6-3, to grant Centegra a certificate, required in Illinois to build new hospitals. The vote was a reconsideration – Centegra's request stalled last December on a 4-4 tie vote, which under board rules amounts to a denial, but one voting member was absent.

Rival hospitals testified before the board that the Centegra hospital is not needed, and would reduce the quality of care in the area by duplicating services and pulling patients away from other providers.

Centegra expects to have its hospital at the corner of Reed and Haligus roads open sometime in 2016.

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