The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration has approved Ten Broeck Tampa Inc.'s certificate-of-need application for a freestanding 40-bed, $15.7 million adult psychiatric and substance abuse hospital in the Wesley Chapel area of Pasco County.
The decision, announced late Friday afternoon, comes at the expense of rival Morton Plant North Bay, which had sought CON approval for a freestanding $17 million, 19,257-square-foot, 70-bed psychiatric hospital that included a 40-bed adult psychiatric hospital, a 20-bed adult substance abuse unit, and a 10-bed child/adolescent psychiatric hospital.
Morton Plant North Bay spokeswoman Beth Hardy says the hospital, part of the BayCare Health System, has not determined whether it will appeal the decision. "It's too soon to tell," Hardy says. "We are in the process of evaluating the situation and expecting to make a decision over the coming weeks."
"Obviously, we are disappointed because we continue to believe that we are the best choice," Hardy says. "It is our understanding that a freestanding site cannot participate in all Medicaid programs. But we are part of a hospital license, so our project would be able to do so. We believe that is very important."
Ten Broeck's 34,500-square-foot Wesley Chapel hospital project includes a 35-bed adult psychiatric unit and a five-bed adult substance abuse unit. Ten Broeck officials did not immediately return telephone calls on Friday afternoon.
The Ten Broeck and Morton Plant North Bay projects were opposed by Community Hospital in New Port Richey, which told AHCA that another psychiatric hospital in the region would duplicate the services that it already provides.
AHCA also approved the CON application for a $19.6 million, 50,000-squarefoot 40-bed comprehensive medical rehabilitation hospital in Ocala, filed by HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Ocala, LLC. The application, which was submitted in February, was opposed by Leesburg Regional Medical Center, which said the project would "absorb virtually" all the rehabilitation patients in Marion County who are now served by LRMC.
—John Commins