Lee hospital ‘war’ escalates with latest developments

ALBANY — What had been regarded primarily as a disagreement between neighboring governing bodies as to what is best for their respective constituents has escalated into an all-out war, as officials in Dougherty County filed a suit in Fulton County Superior Court Thursday challenging the Department of Community Health’s approval of a certificate of need for the planned 60-bed Lee County Medical Center.

The response by Lee County officials was immediate and pointed, more so than at any time in the ongoing battle to build the hospital in Lee County.

Lee Commissioner Rick Muggridge, an Albany native who owns property and a business in Dougherty County, brought his message of disapproval to the front steps of the center of Dougherty County’s government, the downtown Albany-Dougherty Government Center, on Friday. And he directly addressed Dougherty commissioners and their constituents.

“I don’t believe this (lawsuit) is actually what the majority of you (Dougherty commissioners) want to do,” Muggridge read from a prepared statement. “You were asked to do a study, you were asked to make your concerns known to the Department of Community Health in the administrative process, but this is beyond all that. You are directly interfering with Lee County’s ability to govern our own affairs. Enough.

“I am calling on every Dougherty County citizen: Please pick up your phone and ask your commissioner to put a stop to this foolishness.”

According to Dougherty County officials, the seven members of the Dougherty Commission did not vote to move forward with the lawsuit against DCH, which was filed by Atlanta attorney Robert Rozier on the county’s behalf.

“There was no need to call for a vote on this matter,” Dougherty Attorney Spencer Lee said Saturday. “The commission authorized me on Day 1 to handle this case and gave me the authority to take whatever legal action is needed to bring this to a satisfactory end.”

Lee officials were preparing a celebration to mark the announcement that Crisp Regional Hospital had decided to drop its opposition to the Lee Medical Center’s CON when they learned of the Dougherty County lawsuit. Crisp Regional, which had, along with Dougherty County and the nonprofit Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals, challenged the CON approval, was found by the Department of Community Health to be the only entity with standing to challenge the CON.

Crisp officials said in a statement released Friday that the hospital was dropping its opposition to focus on “meeting the health care needs of the residents of Cordele” and to continue in its role of “promoting our area’s economic health.”

While attempts to contact Lee and Dougherty officials Sunday were unsuccessful, there was no shortage of public outcry as word of the latest development filtered into both communities. Several contributors to this newspaper’s Squawkbox spoke out on the issue, most Sunday siding with Lee County.

“Only a delusional person living under a rock believes the Lee County Hospital would cause the bankruptcy of Phoebe,” one wrote, a reference to Dougherty Commission Chairman Chris Cohilas’ statement in a story that appeared in Sunday’s Herald that called the cost of the county’s efforts to stop the Lee hospital “small potatoes” compared to the cost of both the Lee hospital and Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany going bankrupt.

“Dougherty County has enough problems. The County Commission needs to worry about their own problems and leave the Lee County hospital alone,” another wrote, and still another added, “Why does this community continue to send the same elected officials back in office election after election? Why do these officials continue to fight the LCMC, which would benefit so many people in our area? Why is the hospital authority so inept in their ability to govern? Those in power run roughshod over this community and the people do nothing. I beg the people of Albany and Dougherty to stand up and say we have had enough.”

Still another squawker took a swipe at Dougherty County’s stated interest in “protecting Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital and the delivery of health care services throughout southwest Georgia.”

“There go Chris Cohilas and Monty Veazey, bowing at the feet of Phoebe again,” the Squawker said.

While Cohilas accused Lee officials of misleading their constituents and using “intimidation tactics” and “snake oil” in selling the hospital, Muggridge warned that Dougherty County’s latest action is going to end up costing taxpayers in the county a pretty penny.

“I’d like to ask my friends on the Dougherty County Commission to stop this today,” Muggridge said. “Our application for a CON … was properly vetted, tested and found complete and true. No stalling, delaying or legal shenanigans will ever change that.

“If this case is found frivolous — and it will be found frivolous — Dougherty County will be liable for all court costs and Department of Community Health attorneys fees, as well as the thousands already wasted. Joel Wernick (Phoebe Health System’s CEO), Spencer Lee, (GACH CEO) Monty Veazey and Chairman Cohilas know the Lee County Medical Center can’t be stopped, but they do know that with enough (taxpayer) money, they can delay it.”

Gypsy Crow