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Oak Hill's chief says the fight is over, despite lawyers' request for more time to appeal the move by Brooksville Regional.
By WILL VAN SANT
© St. Petersburg Times, published January 10, 2003
Blame it on the lawyers.
Two weeks ago, Oak Hill Hospital chief executive Jaime Wesolowski said no further attempts would be made to block rival Brooksville Regional Hospital's proposed move 3 miles west The feud was over.
That vow came on the heels of a state administrative law judge's ruling that directed the Agency for Health Care Administration to sign off on Brooksville Regional's certificate of need, a regulatory approval that ensures that hospital relocations or expansions serve legitimate health needs and do not duplicate services.
Oak Hill, owned by Nashville-based HCA Inc., had 15 days to file exceptions to the judge's Dec. 24 decision. With the deadline looming, HCA attorneys asked for an extension this week, saying they had been on holiday and busy with other legal matters, making a thorough review of the judge's ruling impossible.
The agency granted the extension.
County Commissioner Diane Rowden has been a strident supporter of Brooksville Regional's move from the city to a 92-acre site at the corner of State Road 50 and Lykes Dublin Road, a move that slashes its distance from Oak Hill from 8 miles to 5 miles. Rowden said Oak Hill's opposition to the relocation had always been about protecting its share of the health care market, not about what's best for residents.
The latest move by HCA attorneys, she said, is further evidence that supports her view.
"In one breath they are saying, "We will appeal no further, and we have the community interest in mind,' " she said. "Then we get this request for an extension!"
Wesolowski said that he learned of the extension request Thursday and that HCA attorneys had acted without consulting him.
"They didn't call us to request our permission," he said. "They felt they needed more time to sit down with their clients, which is us, if we had wanted to file an exception."
The attorneys acted appropriately, he said, but the extension request is obsolete. Wesolowski said the feud really is over, and that no exceptions to the judge's ruling would be filed.
Had Rowden chosen to speak with him rather than publicly criticize Oak Hill, Wesolowski said, the matter could have been put to rest.
"I'm kind of offended by it, quite honestly," he said.
Representatives of Brooksville Regional Hospital, which, along with Spring Hill Regional Hospital, is owned by Hernando County and leased and operated by Health Management Associates of Naples, were not immediately available for comment.
-- Will Van Sant covers Hernando County government and can be reached at 754-6127. Send e-mail to vansant@sptimes.com .