Crisp Regional Hospital to appeal certificate of need for Lee County hospital

CORDELE — Officials with Crisp Regional Hospital announced this morning that the hospital will appeal the Department of Community Health’s decision to approve the certificate of need for the proposed Lee County Medical Center.

Officials with the hospital said the Crisp Regional Board of Trustees plans to work with leaders of LCMC to evaluate options that will reduce the disproportionate burden on Crisp Regional in serving uninsured patients of Crisp, Wilcox, Dooly, Worth and Turner counties.

If an agreement be reached, the appeal may be withdrawn, officials said.

“Crisp County is among Georgia’s poorest counties and its population is counted among the many South Georgia counties that have some of the poorest health outcomes in the United States,” officials from the Crisp hospital said in a news release. “A reduction in funds to support our hospital and increased labor costs will severely impair CRH’s long-term ability to serve the needs of our population and do not seem consistent with prudent health planning. In contrast, Lee County stands out among South Georgia’s counties as being the eighth-wealthiest county in Georgia, its residents have higher incomes, and have among the best health outcomes.

“It is understandable that an investor-owned company from Tennessee would find Lee County, GA, an attractive location, but unfortunate that the proposed LCMC business plan to primarily serve commercially insured patients will negatively impact so many of the less fortunate surrounding communities.”

Lee County Commissioner Rick Muggridge, who with fellow Commissioner Billy Mathis has been one of the county’s point persons in the lead-up to the LCMC certificate of need approval, called the decision by the Crisp hospital “very disappointing, but not incredibly surprising.” Muggridge, Mathis and LCMC CEO Eddie Alexander commented on the Crisp action.

“It was a long shot for them not to (challenge the CON ruling),” Muggridge said. “But I’m still completely convinced Lee County will build a hospital. It may take a little longer and cost a little more, but at the end of the day I feel that our application will carry the day.

“Sadly, when things like this happen, the only people who come out to the good are the lawyers.”

Alexander called the Crisp action “protocol.”

“Although we hoped an appeal wouldn’t be filed, Crisp is simply exercising their right,” Alexander, who heads LCMC OPCO LLC, which will manage and operate the Lee hospital, said. “This is standard protocol of the CON process and isn’t too surprising.

“We remain optimistic about the outcome of this appeal. It is our hope that by the end of this process, we both can provide and enhance access to local, quality health care for the residents of Southwest Georgia.”

Mathis, meanwhile, said he’s confident the process will work out as Lee officials expect.

“I, along with the rest of the Lee County commissioners, place my trust in the process and that everything will work itself out,” Mathis, the Lee Commission’s vice chairman, said.

Asked if Lee County’s response to an October CON opposition hearing before the Department of Community Health that showed only two Lee County citizens were admitted to Crisp Regional last year and Lee County’s speculation that the Cordele hospital used information supplied by Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany in its opposition statement in October would be significant factors in the Department of Community Health’s ruling on Crisp Regional’s appeal opposing the CON, Muggridge chose not to dwell on those issues.

“I’ll just say that health care everywhere involves a lot of money, and there’s a lot of money at stake in this decision,” he said. “People have different opinions, but I happen to believe there’s a big enough need for Crisp Regional, Phoebe and the Lee County hospital to exist.

“In the end, though, it comes down to did our (CON) application meet the standards established by the state. We’ve all got to do what’s right for us, but when all is said and done, we’ll build a hospital in Lee County.”

Crisp Regional cited the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s county-specific health rankings, which utilize health factors to highlight the areas of the state with the most health concerns. These rankings are based on weighted scores for health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors, and the physical environment. The most concerning region of Georgia is located in the south and middle parts of the state, Crisp Regional noted in its statement Wednesday.

Additionally, the foundation created county-specific health rankings based on health outcomes to highlight the areas of the state with the worst outcomes. These rankings are based on the average life span of individuals within the county and the quality of life of those individuals. The same regions of Georgia, the south and middle parts of the state, were shown to have the most concerns.

The CON for the Lee hospital was approved on Nov. 15. The state DCH allowed a 30-day window for any appeals of the decision to be filed.

Carlton Fletcher contributed to this report.

Jennifer Parks