Despite Greenwood health care officials fighting it all the way to the state’s highest court, a 40-bed long-term, acute-care hospital will be built in Greenville.
The state Supreme Court announced its judgment Thursday. All eight justices uphold approval for Greenville’s Delta Regional Medical Center to build the hospital. The court was reviewing a 2007 Hinds County Chancery Court decision.
In 2006, the Mississippi Department of Health decided to grant a certificate of need to the Washington County medical center. Greenwood Leflore Hospital and Greenwood Specialty Hospital opposed this move.
States control the building of hospitals and other health care facilities through the issuance of the certificates.
“We are very gratified that our Certificate of Need application has met support in this, the fifth and final attempt at opposition by Greenwood Leflore Hospital and Greenwood Specialty Hospital,” L. Ray Humphreys, chief executive officer at Delta Regional, said in a statement.
Greenwood has had a 40-bed long-term acute care hospital – located on the hospital’s second floor – for roughly three years. Patients who use it usually have complex or chronic medical conditions.
Greenwood officials argued that building a similar facility 55 miles away in Greenville would siphon business away from the Greenwood location. They claimed that the state Department of Health decision to grant a certificate of need was “not supported by substantial evidence.”
When Hinds County Chancellor Dewayne Thomas upheld the Department of Health’s issuance of the certificate of need, Greenwood officials appealed to the state Supreme Court.
On Thursday the high court, in an analysis written by Justice Jess H. Dickinson, said the medical center proved its need for the care unit by using “three separate methodologies.” Two of the three methods used met the twin requirements of 450 long-term acute care hospital admissions, each with an average stay of 25 days.
Greenwood officials, who were represented by Jackson attorney Barry Cockrell, also asked the Supreme Court to consider new federal regulations that impose “hard limitations” on the number of patients the care unit in Greenville could be referred. The new regulations, according to Greenwood officials, would cut the “proposed” number of Greenville patients in half.
However, Dickinson wrote that “unless the federal regulations clearly state that they effectively would cut the proposed number in half, it is merely a factual speculation” to consider their effect on the care unit in Greenville.
Reached by telephone Thursday, Cockrell said, “I’m in the process of reviewing the (Supreme Court’s) document and will discuss it with my client.” He declined to comment further.
Attempts to reach Jerry Adams, CEO of Greenwood Leflore Hospital, were unsuccessful.
The facility in Greenville will be located on the third floor of King’s Daughters Hospital.
