Leesburg City Council formally endorses proposed Lee County hospital

LEESBURG — City officials met Thursday night to approve a resolution showing their support for Lee County’s certificate of need application to build a new hospital. Plans are to submit the formal document to state officials today.

Leesburg City Council member Bobby Wilson led the hospital discussion and signed the official document, which was to be sent to the Georgia Department of Community Health this morning.

In part, Leesburg’s resolution reads in part: “The City of Leesburg by and through its mayor and City Council fully support the application for a certificate of need as a hospital in Lee County, Georgia will serve the medical needs of the citizens of Leesburg by offering a choice in health care and such a choice will encourage diversity and competition in the provision of medical care;”

The Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals, the Dougherty County Commission and Crisp Regional Hospital have stated opposition to approval of a CON for the proposed Lee Medical Center, which would be a 60-bed, $123 million facility located at the former Grand Island Country Club just north of Ledo Road.

Phoebe officials have stated the results of a study that has shown a Lee County hospital would cost the Albany hospital as much as $40 million a year in lost revenue. Phoebe officials are bound by an agreement with the Federal Trade Commission to not oppose a CON for a hospital in the immediate area, including Lee County.

Wilson said he believes the opposition to the hospital is unwarranted and stems from Phoebe Putney Memorial’s fear of competition.

“They have done their job well, but they don’t appreciate competition,” Wilson said. “That’s why they are opposed to it.

“I look forward to Lee County getting its certificate of need approved because I know Leesburg and Lee County need this hospital.”

City Manager Bob Alexander said the proposed hospital would not only bring choice in medical care, it also would bring jobs and accommodate the county’s continual growth.

“We are the fastest-growing county in the state,” Wilson said.

He expanded on the quality of care the new hospital is expected to provide.

“It will be a state-of-the-art hospital with state-of-the-art people working there,” Wilson said. “The hospital will tend to the needs of people not just in Lee County, but all of south Georgia.

“We hope and pray the CON is approved. We definitely will have qualified people to run it.”

Wilson said it was “beyond me why anyone would oppose it. I don’t understand it. Or, yes, I do understand in the back of my mind, because it all goes back to competition. Even so, we all know, competition can be a good thing because it gives everyone the incentive to do better.”

Following a short discussion, Wilson read the resolution aloud, concluding that “the provision of medical services is a personal choice between patient and provider. Such choice should be afforded the citizens of Leesburg without restraint.”

The vote to sign and submit the resolution was unanimous. Council member Judy Powell did not attend the meeting.