Florida hospitals challenge building of 100-bed facility for Jackson Health
Competitors ask regulators to decided whether patient demand is high enough.
The Jackson Health System's efforts to build a 100-bed hospital in Doral, Florida are being met with resistance by five hospitals in the state, which are challenging state regulators' approval of the facility.
Kendall Regional Medical Center, Coral Gables Hospital, Nicklaus Children's, Hialeah Hospital and Palmetto General have requested administrative hearings to appeal the Agency for Health Care Administration's approval of Jackson Health's application under the state's certificate of need program. Under the program, new hospital applications are approved based in part on whether a new hospital is justified by patient demand.
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None of the five hospitals returned calls seeking comment.
Jackson Health's plans are to build a campus dubbed Jackson West, including a hospital, emergency room, physician offices, pediatric center and outpatient surgery, which will be built and operated by Miami-Dade's public hospital network.
The proposal was approved by the AHCA on Dec 4. In its decision, the group stated that Jackson Health's application satisfied the necessary criteria.
Jackson Health was mostly mum in a statement issued by spokesperson Jennifer Piedra.
"Jackson Health system is committed to bringing its world-class medical care to people who live, work, and play in western Miami-Dade County with the opening of Jackson West," she said. "We do not comment on pending litigation."
Twitter: @JELagasse
