Overcoming the Next Hurdle on Mississippi Medical News

Overcoming the Next Hurdle

By: LYNNE JETER

Methodist Ready for DeSoto CON Opposition Hearing

So far, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare has submitted the only certificate of need (CON) application to the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) for a new hospital in DeSoto County.

But the path isn’t clear just yet.

The next step in the CON application process is an 8-day public hearing in March, during which both the applicant and any person or group opposing the application can present evidence. Memphis-based Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation and Alliance Health Care of Holly Springs have both spoken out in opposition to Methodist’s CON application.

Expanding Footprint

DESOTO COUNTY—Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare has gradually strengthened its presence in DeSoto County. Most recently, the center for Methodist Healthcare Sleep Disorders, located on Goodman Road in Olive Branch, recently received program accreditation from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM).

“This recognition demonstrates our commitment to providing the highest quality of care for patients suffering from sleep disorders,” said Mitch Graves, president of affiliated services for Methodist Le Bonheur.

Robert N. Aguillard, MD, who directs the sleep disorders center, said the process for the 5-year accreditation involved a detailed inspection of the center’s facility and staff, including an evaluation of testing procedures, patient contacts, and physician training. The facility’s goals were clearly stated and included plans for positively affecting the quality of medical care in the community, as required by the national accrediting body for sleep disorders centers and labs.

“Our physicians and staff worked diligently to achieve the AASM accreditation,” said Graves.

Once the Independent Hearing Officer closes the record, the Hearing Officer’s recommendation will be prepared and forwarded to the State Health Officer, along with the entire record. The project will then be put on the next monthly CON agenda for publication of the State Health Officer’s decision.

“After that, if all goes well, we’re hopeful the state health department will grant us approval by late summer or early fall,” said Ruth Ann Hale, spokesperson for Methodist Le Bonheur. “With that timeline, we could open the hospital in DeSoto County in the first quarter of 2013.”

Methodist has sought to build a 100-bed hospital in Olive Branch for nearly a decade, and recently closed a $5 million deal to buy 40 acres on the southeast corner of Highway 78 and Bethel Road.

To pave the way for another hospital in burgeoning DeSoto County, the MSDH Board voted 5 to 3 last July to adopt changes to the state health plan, allowing for consideration of a second hospital in counties with populations of 140,000 or more, with several additional criteria.

The county must be located in an underdeveloped General Hospital Service Area and have a rapidly growing population;
Indigent and Medicaid care must exceed the hospital average in the General Health Service Area, as determined by the State Health Officer;
If the proposed hospital will be located in a county adjacent to others without a hospital, the CON applicant must establish outpatient services in those counties.
The proposed hospital must fully participate in the Trauma Care System at a level (and for the length of time) deemed reasonable by the State Health Officer.
The new hospital must participate as a network provider in the State and School Employees’ Health Insurance Plan.

The MSDH Office of Health Policy and Planning said DeSoto County would probably be the only county in Mississippi to meet the need requirement for fiscal year 2010.

No other hospital system, including Baptist Memorial, has stepped forward to submit a competitive CON application for DeSoto County.

Industry watchers speculate that because filing a CON application is a very costly and time-intensive process, that fact alone may deter other hospital systems from undertaking such a project with an uncertain outcome.

“Most automatically assume that what was approved gave Methodist a hospital in Olive Branch,” said MSDH Board Chair Luke Lampton, MD. “It did not. This is not a done deal. The board's action initiates a fair and competitive process to provide a hospital in a heavily populated region, which needs an additional facility. These CON changes have been carefully crafted to improve access to medical care not only in DeSoto County, but also in nearby counties, such as Tunica County, which is medically underserved.”