Our Hospital

SwedishAmerican Hospital

SwedishAmerican Health System has a rich, colorful history founded in the spirit of community. As the population of Rockford, Illinois, grew in the early 20th century, so did the need for quality healthcare. In response to this need, Rockford's growing Swedish community decided to build a new hospital.

It all began on March 23, 1911, when O.F. Nilson wrote a letter to Carl Hjalmar Lundquist, editor of the "Svenska Posten," Rockford's Swedish newspaper, urging the construction of a Swedish hospital in Rockford. Nilson was a mathematician who had written a mathematics textbook (in Swedish). In a rather humorous way, he challenged every Swede in the city to contribute one dollar per year, and he enclosed a dollar as a token of his sincerity. On June 6, 1911, the SwedishAmerican Hospital Association received its charter of incorporation from the Illinois Secretary of State. In 1912, after many fund-raising picnics, bazaars and concerts, a three-acre site on Charles Street was purchased for $11,500. Finally, on July 17, 1918, the 55-bed SwedishAmerican Hospital was completed at a cost of $175,000.

Following its establishment, the hospital expanded several times. In 1942, a five-story, 50-bed extension to the west was completed. In response to a critical shortage of hospital beds in Rockford, a five-story, 75-bed addition that contained new emergency, delivery and surgical facilities was completed in 1953. Ten years later, construction of a 10-story tower enlarged the hospital's capacity to 330 beds. When the tower opened, only the first five floors were completed for use. The remaining floors were completed in subsequent years, allowing for gradual expansion.

In recent years, SwedishAmerican has been recognized with numerous national awards for quality and excellence, including designation as a Top 100 hospital and the Lincoln Award for Excellence—our state's equivalent to the prestigious Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award.

In 2000, plans were unveiled for a $32 million campus expansion and renovation project that would benefit northern Illinois residents by providing them with greater convenience, expanded programs and more service offerings. A catalyst for the renewal of Rockford's Midtown District, the project included a major expansion of the emergency department, which in the early 2000s was one of the busiest in Illinois.

In June of 2002, the hospital's main entrance moved to East State Street after being located on Charles Street for more than 90 years. This provided patients with access to a new outpatient care area offering express admission service, spacious waiting areas, a resource center and gift shop, and diagnostic testing and treatment services.

For more than 90 years, SwedishAmerican has provided the very best healthcare to the people of northern Illinois. More than ever before, the health system remains focused on this important goal.