Quincy Reporter

Blessing Health System issued the following announcement on Feb. 20.

Blessing Hospital is issuing the following statement on the newly released Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board Staff Report.

The Review Board’s staff has issued a report based on a review of the Certification of Need (CON) application from Quincy Medical Group, an impact statement submitted by Blessing Health System and testimony from the January 24th public hearing in Quincy.

Specifically, the Staff Report confirms Blessing Hospital’s concerns in its findings that the project failed to meet applicable criteria as it: (1) constitutes an unnecessary duplication of healthcare services, and adversely impacts Blessing Hospital and Blessing ASTC (ambulatory surgical treatment center); (2) does not improve access to care in the area; (3) fails to meet State criteria for financial viability, and; (4) fails to meet criteria on the reasonableness of project costs.

The purpose of the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Act is to promote “the orderly and economic development of health care facilities in the State of Illinois that avoids unnecessary duplication of such facilities” and to maintain support for safety net services (20 ILCS 3960/2). The Staff Report references Blessing Hospital’s analysis that the proposed project is unneeded and result in financial losses to Blessing of up to $41 million and in the loss of 400 jobs. The Staff Report further reflects Blessing’s position that “the proposed project would curtail Blessing Hospital’s ability to cross-subsidize emergency services, behavior[al] health and safety net services (Staff Report, Page 4).”

It is hoped that the Staff Report’s conclusion that the proposed QMG surgery center is not compliant with criteria prohibiting the unnecessary duplication of healthcare services will give QMG pause to reconsider its CON application and to instead pursue better alternatives to serving the healthcare needs.

Click here for a fact sheet and a copy of the Review Board Staff Report.

Original source can be found here.