FL trauma care fight with HCA goes to appeals court

An appeals court Thursday waded into an industry fight about whether the Florida Department of Health properly approved new trauma centers in Pasco, Manatee and Clay counties. The Department of Health and hospitals affiliated with the HCA healthcare chain want the 1st District Court of Appeal to overturn an administrative judge's order that gave them to the go-ahead to open last year. On the other side are hospitals in the Tampa Bay and Jacksonville areas that have long provided trauma care and face additional competition from the new facilities, which are at HCA's Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point in Pasco County, Blake Medical Center in Manatee County and Orange Park Medical Center in Clay County.