Carolinas Medical Center wins bid to build Fort Mill hospital

FORT MILL, S.C.,None — Carolinas HealthCare System, the parent company of Carolinas Medical Center, was named today to build a new hospital in Fort Mill, but the fight for keeping that right may not be over.

State health regulators chose the Charlotte-based healthcare provider over Rock Hill's Piedmont Medical Center and Presbyterian Hospital, also based in Charlotte.

CMC's application was the most compliant, according to Beverly Brandt, chief of health facilities and services for the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.

"These criteria include items such as community need, financial feasibility cost containment and adverse impact upon other facilities," Brandt said in a statement.

Carolinas Medical Center President Chris Hummer called the decision both "a privilege and a responsibility."

"We're delighted that the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control has selected Carolinas HealthCare System to build and operate the new hospital in York County," Hummer said.

Hummer believes CMC was awarded the certificate because of the respect the system has earned from the people. "Clearly the preference is for the Carolina Healthcare System," he said.

Piedmont Medical Center President and CEO Charles Miller called the decision "truly disappointing for our physicians and employees who serve the healthcare needs of York County every day."

In a statement, Miller said DHEC's decision "will have major negative implications on both Piedmont Medical Center and the entire healthcare system and economy of York County."

Paula Vincent, senior vice president of operations for Presbyterian Hospital, issued the following statement this morning: "We're very disappointed with State's decision to deny our application. We strongly believe that Presbyterian Hospital Fort Mill best met the criteria for the new hospital, and we're disheartened on behalf of the 10,000 area residents, physicians and community leaders who expressed their support for our proposal."

But as history has shown, today's decision may not be final. Losing applicants then have 15 days to appeal to the board.

"Obviously, I assumed the other two applicants will explore their appeals," Hummer said. "We have to be careful how fast, how far, we proceed. …We need to understand what the appeals process allows."

The fight for the right to build a new Fort Mill hospital has been ongoing for years.

In 2006 DHEC approved a certificate of need for Piedmont. CHS and Presbyterian challenged. Three years later, an administrative court judge ruled that DHEC misinterpreted the state's health plan in awarding the certificate to Piedmont.

Last year applicants reapplied.

Both Piedmont Medical Center and Presbyterian hinted that the competition isn't over.

Piedmont officials will review the details of DHEC's ruling before determining their next "course of action that we believe is in the best interest of our community and our organization," Miller said.

Presbyterian's Vincent added, "After a careful review of the decision, we will determine an appropriate course of action, which could include an appeal."

Fort Mill Mayor Danny Funderburk, however, is hoping for a quick resolution.

"I'm just trusting that the proper diligence was done," Funderburk said. "I'd certainly like to see the resolution of any appeal process, so we can get the hospital built."

Funderburk said he believes the method DHEC uses to decide who gets to build a hospital in the state is fair.

"I think [the CON process] has been established as the most fair process they can come up with," he said. "Regardless of which hospital had gotten the award, I would have liked to have seen a short, abbreviated or non-existent appeal process so we can get that hospital built."

Construction and operations of a new York County hospital are costly, but so are the results. Each applicant anticipates serving thousands of York County residents when open, netting millions in income.

The final winner of the certificate of need will shape healthcare in York County for years.

WSOC