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Oak Hill picked for heart care
By JENNIFER FARRELL © St. Petersburg Times, published February 3, 2001 SPRING HILL -- Oak Hill Hospital's bid to develop an adult open-heart surgery program just got revived. After rejecting previous requests by the hospital, most recently in June, the state Agency for Health Care Administration announced this week it would support Oak Hill for a coveted "certificate of need" to start offering heart surgery. Jaime Wesolowski, Oak Hill CEO, said a $9-million expansion is planned, adding 8,500 square feet to the existing 204-bed hospital. He said the program will be modeled on the one in place at Bayonet Point Regional Medical Center, Oak Hill's sister operation in Pasco County. "Having a full heart program in Hernando County is going to save quite a few lives," Wesolowski said, predicting construction will begin by summer. "For that reason, it's a great day for Hernando County." But his timetable might be overly optimistic. Tom Barb, the local chief executive for Health Management Associates Inc., which operates Brooksville Regional Hospital, plans to appeal the state's decision. A hearing is scheduled to begin Feb. 12 in Tallahassee, at which Barb plans to make his case to an administrative law judge that the state was wrong to deny his hospital in favor of Oak Hill. "The state for some reason has decided that they wish to support Oak Hill's application," said Barb, whose company wants to move Brooksville Regional farther west and closer to Oak Hill. "It's not a done deal." Wesolowski said the appeal could delay construction until 2002, but added that it likely would not derail the project. "I'm pretty confident," he said. In June, the state rejected requests by Oak Hill and Brooksville Regional but granted support for an open-heart program at Citrus Memorial Hospital in Inverness. At the time, Barb vowed to appeal, saying there is more need in Hernando County. With news that the state had reconsidered but had selected Oak Hill rather than Brooksville Regional for Hernando's only open-heart program, Barb said he will argue that the decision will do nothing to foster competition in the marketplace. Because of the relationship between Oak Hill and Bayonet Point, the state's recommendation creates a virtual monopoly in the area, he said.
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