In February, the department denied the hospital’s CON to build an $18 million Bluffton Outpatient Center, stating that population data and growth estimates did not warrant a new facility, according to the report. Hilton Head Hospital appealed the decision, claiming the denial was based on faulty data analysis by the state.
In a re-evaluation, the department reversed its decision, granting the hospital a CON to build the 60,000-square-foot facility, saying the center’s planned CT and nuclear medicine services — which are not offered by nearby facilities — would enhance patient care in the area. The department also recognized local support for the project and the hospital’s strong financial standing.
Beaufort (S.C.) Memorial Hospital and Savannah, Ga.-based St. Joseph’s/Candler Health System had opposed Hilton Head Hospital’s project on the grounds that the new center would draw some of their patients away.
More Articles on Certificates of Need:
South Carolina to Reconsider CON Denial for Hilton Head Hospital Outpatient Center
Cone Health Plans to Submit New Application for NC Surgery Center
New Hampshire House Votes to Exempt Specialty Hospitals From CON Process
