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Hernando HealthCare proposes a site 4 miles west of Brooksville, a fact that irks residents to the east.
By JEFFREY S. SOLOCHEK
© St. Petersburg Times, published June 10, 2001
BROOKSVILLE -- Before it rebuilds and relocates Brooksville Regional Hospital, Hernando HealthCare must win approval from the Hernando County Commission and the state Agency for Health Care Administration.
Already, the opposition is mounting.
Jaime Wesolowski, CEO of competitor Oak Hill Hospital in Spring Hill, argues that the proposal fails a key state certificate-of-need criterion, that of enhanced access to health care for residents of the service district.
"Quite frankly, I think a hospital needs to stay in Brooksville or east of Brooksville," said Wesolowski, whose hospital would face direct competition if Brooksville Regional moves to 95 acres at State Road 50 and Lykes Dublin Road, fewer than 6 miles from Oak Hill.
"We're talking duplication of services. Spring Hill has two hospitals already," he said. "I don't think we need a third Spring Hill hospital, moving it further away from residents of Brooksville and, more important, the residents east. They have to drive too far already."
Wesolowski's sentiments resonate in Ridge Manor and other eastern communities, where the mere mention of the hospital relocation sparks animated, angry reaction.
Brooksville Regional "absolutely should not move," Louise DiPirro of Ridge Manor West said as she prepared a Ridge Manor Community Center room for an afternoon program last week. "We need it where we are. They forget we're here."
She noted that Health Management Associates, Hernando HealthCare's parent company, acquired Pasco Community Hospital in Dade City last year, and suggested the firm might be seeking to expand the base of that hospital while improving Brooksville Regional farther west.
"I wouldn't go to Dade City," said Marie Shepard of Hill 'n Dale, who works in the Sheriff's Office Ridge Manor outreach center.
"I wouldn't put a dog down there," Ridge Manor West resident Helen Rice said. Shepard worried about the ability of ambulances to get to Brooksville Regional fast enough if it moves west.
"You'd have to go through Brooksville to get to the new hospital. Hah!" she said. "If Hernando County doesn't care about this side, then Pasco should annex us."
Elected officials have heard these voices, and they're responding.
State Rep. David Russell, R-Brooksville, said he will oppose the hospital's application for a certificate of need if it ever gets that far.
"Beyond the economics of the issue, the most important thing is that the people are served," Russell said. Under HMA's proposal, "people of the eastern part of Hernando County are not being served. They will have to go to Dade City, which by the way is owned by the same consortium, for their service. I am concerned."
State Sen. Ginny Brown-Waite, R-Brooksville, harbored similar worries.
"It looks like a good proposal," Brown-Waite said. "However, when you consider the ramifications of it, I have some concerns. The east side will be without hospital service."
Some residents consider the proposed move a bait and switch, she said, wondering aloud whether HMA executives ever discussed a possible move with county commissioners before taking control of the hospital in 1998. She also noted that Sumter County residents who use Brooksville Regional might switch their allegiances if it moves, taking even more health-care money out of Hernando County.
"I hope HMA will rethink the whole thing," Brown-Waite said.
So, too, does Brooksville Mayor Joe Johnston III, who fears the economic fallout of the hospital's departure.
If the hospital moves, Johnston said, the pharmacies, doctors' offices and related businesses also will relocate. The losses to the city could amount to $20-million or more, he said.
"With our budgetary situation the way it is, every little bit hurts," Johnston said.
County commissioners have said they would like to see the hospital move to a site in or adjacent to the city limits, so the city will not weather such a heavy loss.
If Brooksville Regional does move, Johnston said, it would help greatly if a new tenant for the 112,000-square-foot hospital building is waiting in the wings. HMA executives have offered to pay for a reuse study.
"It's probably a very good deal for the county," Johnston said of the company's overall proposal. "I'm just not sure what the impact will be for the city."
County commissioners are assessing the proposal. Their main concern also revolves around the suggested new hospital location, which Hernando HealthCare CEO Tom Barb has deemed the only non-negotiable point of the deal.
"It's important we do something in Ridge Manor," Commissioner Betty Whitehouse said. "If they're not going to move east close enough to that area, one of the things I would like to see happen is having Hernando HealthCare do a clinic in Ridge Manor."
Not everyone opposes the move.
Richard Buckingham of Ridge Manor stood among a handful of non-hospital employees to tell commissioners to back the relocation plan.
"It's a county hospital built for the people of the county," Buckingham said. "We should realize that."
Dom Cabriele, chairman of the county Democratic Executive Committee, also urged support, stating it has positive economic development benefits.
HMA officials most likely have a clear goal in mind with their plan, which mimics similar efforts in other cities, including Haines City, said Joel Ray, an analyst with First Union Securities.
Acquiring and replacing an old hospital "enhances the work flow within a hospital," Ray said. "It allows them to add services. People get excited about the new hospital. It positions you to attract new physicians to come to a community."
The company historically has succeeded with such moves, he said, netting an additional market share in its region and enhancing the value of its stock. HMA has a savvy management team, Ray said.
"I'm sure they evaluated all the options and found this is best," he said. "Otherwise, they would not be doing it."
Some questions still remain.
Hernando County Property Appraiser Alvin Mazourek said it remains unclear in the wake of a recent Florida Supreme Court ruling whether HMA would have to pay property taxes on Brooksville Regional and Spring Hill Regional hospitals regardless of whether it has an agreement with the county.
The court ruled that publicly owned buildings run for proprietary purposes are subject to taxes. County-owned facilities might be exempt, though, Mazourek said, adding that he would investigate.
Some residents have wondered why the county owns any hospitals, and why it would want to take possession of another, as Hernando HealthCare has offered. County officials are pondering that issue, too.
Commission Chairman Chris Kingsley has said the county will take all the time it needs to review the proposal and community input. If the county wants quick action, though, it might want to move sooner rather than later.
The state has two cycles to consider certificate-of-need applications. The next one begins with letters of intent, due Aug. 13. Decisions would be made by Dec. 14.