Boston-based Mass General Brigham on April 1 withdrew its $223.7 million plan to build three outpatient surgical centers in Boston suburbs, a project that has received backlash from competitors, insurers and community organizations, The Boston Globe reported.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health decided to not endorse the plan but did provide support for a $1.9 billion expansion at Massachusetts General Hospital, which includes two new towers, and a $150.1 million project at Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital, both located in Boston.
The system has said that the surgical centers would result in lower healthcare spending by moving patients closer to home, according to the Globe. It recently came under fire for its ad campaign used to gain support for the expansion.
"Mass General Brigham remains dedicated to transforming care delivery so that our patients receive the right care in the right place at a lower cost," Mass General Brigham Chief Executive Anne Klibanski, MD, said in a statement to the Globe. "We will continue to honor our commitment to provide the best care to the 227,000 patients we currently serve at Mass General Brigham affected by the Department of Public Health's decision."
The proposed project has received backlash from competitors, who argued that it would take away patients from other hospitals. Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey also voiced concerns over the project.
Read more here.