The Agency for Health Care Administration preliminarily authorized the BayCare hospital in early December, but Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based AdventHealth filed objections that will be heard before an administrative law judge. AdventHealth argues the three hospitals it operates in Pasco County already offer 414 beds that had a combined occupancy rate of under 40 percent in 2017.
Though AdventHealth made similar arguments during BayCare’s application for authorization, the proposed hospital still was granted approval. BayCare officials argue that AdventHealth’s dominance in the market limits competition and patient choice in a county whose population is projected to grow almost 13 percent in the next six years.
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