Career Resources / Reasons to Love Rockford, Illinois
People pursue nursing because they have a passion for helping people, but there is so much more to love about the profession. Beyond improving and saving lives, nurses shape the health and wellness of both individuals for whom they care and of the communities in which they serve. And if it is a community that you seek, it is hard to find a better place to live and work than Rockford, Illinois.
Rockford is a Midwestern town with charm to spare. Formerly known as Midway because of its location halfway between Chicago and Galena, the town was established in 1834. It was eventually renamed Rockford to honor the Rock River and its ford, and that name has proven appropriate, as some of the town’s most beloved landmarks and attractions make the most of the river. The town also calls itself the “City of Gardens” due to its extensive green spaces, parks, and gardens.
U.S. News & World Report has ranked Rockford #127 in Best Places to Live in America and #104 in Best Places to Retire. Families that live and work here benefit from its position on the I-90 growth corridor, currently considered the third largest economic corridor in the United States. This region is also home to industry giants and leaders in aerospace, automotive, logistics, healthcare, and advanced manufacturing. The city has a population approaching 150,000, and an outlying metropolitan area population of nearly 350,000. Residents here enjoy low housing costs, lower-than-average commute times and easy access to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.
If you’re a nurse, Rockford offers a broad range of fulfilling work opportunities available to you. In addition to the hospitals and facilities connected within the area’s multiple healthcare systems, Rockford also has a highly regarded community health center, rehabilitation hospitals, home healthcare agencies, senior living facilities, and more. Registered nurses are very much in demand nationwide, and Rockford, Illinois is no exception.
- Rockford, Illinois is Participating in an Exciting Healthcare Pilot Program
With only 150,000 residents, Rockford may not leap to mind as a hotbed of healthcare innovation, but the city is one of three across the country that is taking part in a Prometheus Pilot Project that creates a new model for compensating healthcare. The innovative program goes beyond the basics of establishing rewards for quality metrics and paying a flat fee to cover treatments and expenses for the diseases that it covers. It actually offers rewarding bonuses to physicians and hospitals for avoiding medical mistakes. Rockford hospitals, laboratories, and doctors are all enthusiastically participating, and so far the pilot program is providing great value for facilities, employees, and patients alike.
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- Rockford, Illinois Hospitals Score Well for Patient Care and Safety
The national nonprofit organization, The Leapfrog Group, assessed several hospitals in Rockford to assess and grade their overall performance in 32 separate measures regarding surgery, safety, and staff. The grades specifically target the hospital’s prevention of medical errors and harm to patients, and Rockford hospitals scored well! FHN Memorial Hospital made a significant improvement in the grade that it received in the past and OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center received a B grade, as it has consistently over the last several years. The facility has also been recognized as a Magnet hospital four times, the first hospital in Rockford to receive this highly regarded status.
- Rockford Nurses Are in High Demand, With Some Facilities Offering $30,000 Sign-on Bonuses
Rockford, Illinois hospitals and healthcare facilities know and appreciate the value of highly trained, highly compassionate registered nurses. Salary.com states that new graduate registered nurses in Rockford earn an average annual salary of $66,683, with more experienced nurses earning an average of $83,147. Nurses also earn an average overtime pay of $12,000 per year, with many facilities offering generous sign-on bonuses, some paying as much as $30,000 for nurses in certain specialties.
- Economic Advantages of Living in Rockford
Rockford’s proximity to the city of Chicago has made it an economic powerhouse. It is part of the area that has been named the third largest economic corridor in the United States, attracting industries ranging from manufacturing to logistics. The city boasts some of the world’s best-known and most highly respected companies, including GE Aviation, Amazon, Lowe’s, and UPS. The area’s largest employers are the Rockford Public Schools System, UW Health, and Mercy Health.
The average cost of living in Rockford is 3% lower overall than the rest of Illinois, with housing costs a remarkable 24% lower than in other locales. Utilities cost approximately 5% less than in the rest of the state!
- Quality of Life for Nurses in Rockford, Illinois
Beyond all of the economic and professional factors that make Rockford an attractive place to live and work, are the quality of life aspects that make the city so special and the community so strong. Rockford residents love their city, and for good reason: foodies and shoppers both will enjoy an embarrassment of riches! Downtown Rockford is home to a bevy of retail shops, coffee shops, casual restaurants to kick back and enjoy the views and the people watching, craft breweries, Chicago-style pizza, and fine dining.
Adventure lovers and adrenaline seekers can enjoy their favorite activities in every season, as the region is an oasis for paddlers, cyclists, skiers, and hikers. Golfers will find themselves in Midwestern heaven, as they are able to enjoy what Golf Digest calls the “best mid-sized golf city in the United States.” Even those who are not sports-minded will enjoy the area’s amazing conservatories, the remarkable Klehm Arboretum and Botanic Garden, one of the top Japanese Gardens in the United States, and the nearby state park and 42 forest preserves that attract millions of visitors every year. Entertainment wise, Rockford boasts excellent rock ‘n roll venues, theaters, museums, and the remarkable historic Frank Lloyd Wright Laurent House.
We have just scratched the surface on all of the things that make Rockford, Illinois a top place for nurses to live and work. For more information about amazing permanent job opportunities available in this beautiful city, check out Incredible Health’s job search platform, where the top Rockford employers can find you and reach out to you.
