Jackson Health System pushes on for a Doral hospital
Jackson Health System remains in active litigation against Florida’s Agency for Healthcare Administration to obtain a certificate of need for its proposed José Milton Memorial Hospital at the Jackson West Medical Center in Doral. In the latest step in that effort, Judge William David Watkins’ recommended April 30 that the state deny Jackson’s request.
A certificate of need (CON) is required to open a hospital in Florida. The Legislature, however, has just weakened those provisions in a bill now awaiting the signature of Gov. Ron DeSantis that might affect Jackson’s case.
Plans for Jackson West trail as far back as 2014, when Jackson Health reviewed healthcare need projections for the county. The system found the western corridor of Miami-Dade – in Doral – absent a hospital and healthcare program at that time.
Jackson counted on two different consultants to evaluate its data, and, after receiving the thumbs up, bought 27 acres at 7800 NW 29th St. in Doral for the project in 2015. Jackson Health has checked off several steps, including securing building permits. The one item stopping progress since 2016 has been the certificate of need approval.
But other health institutions are fighting to keep Jackson from opening a hospital in Doral. One of them, East Florida, wants its own hospital in the neighborhood. East Florida is pushing forward the idea of a Doral Medical Center with an 80-bed acute care center.
Jackson wants to open a 100-bed acute care hospital, instead, with the addition of outpatient clinics and an ambulatory center – assets East Florida has yet to offer. In fact, Jackson’s hospital, if approved by the state, would sit next to the Jackson West Medical Center, which debuts next year.
Judge Watkins considered both the Doral Medical Center and the Jackson West hospital in his April 30 recommendation. He measured the two candidates to the four standards and measurements the state’s Agency for Healthcare Administration weighs: population, availability of quality services in the area, medical treatment trends, and market conditions.
He cited the State Agency Action Report or recommendation to deny both requests. Judge Watkins then recommended that the state provide a final order to deny both applications as a result of several factors playing against the two applicants.
First, he said, no need exists.
He writes in his recommendation, “To the contrary, the evidence demonstrated that neither hospital is needed. Accordingly, based upon the evidence presented in this case, the CON applications at issue should be denied.” He says the evidence provided in proposed recommendations filed by Jackson West and Florida East provide no convincing information. Judge Watkins writes, “It is important to note that these second applications for the same previously denied projects were not supported by ‘new facts, changed conditions, or additional submissions.’ The applicants are identical to the prior applications, and the record in this case does not reflect any ‘substantial changes in material circumstances.’”
Recent developments convince Judge Watkins there is no need for a hospital in Doral, he wrote. Competition in the area for medical staff is high and continues to grow. He fears, he wrote, that approval for a hospital in Doral would only worsen staff conditions, competition, and be “potentially driving up costs of providing care.” Besides, he reasoned, the average time to a nearby hospital for residents in the area – despite the Agency for Healthcare Administration not explicitly weighing travel-time distance as a factor in its decisions – is only 30 to 40 minutes.
He also cites a decline in use rates in nearby hospitals in the area and more vacant beds as examples. Judge Watkins writes, “The city of Doral has a relatively small population. The existing beds in District 11 are underutilized with an overall occupancy rate of roughly 53%. And, there was no competent, substantial record evidence that the ‘geographic barriers to access’ alleged by both JW [Jackson West] and DMC [Doral Medical Center] prevented residents of the proposed service area from accessing existing providers. In sum, if the Agency were to grant either applicant a CON, it would be departing from prior Agency precedent without any rational explanation.”
Miami Today asked the state agency and Jackson West for comment, but both turned down the opportunity given that the case is under pending litigation. Jackson Health has until mid-May to file an exemption.
Vilma M. Lesesne
May 15, 2019 at 11:42 am
I and i will guess the rest of the community highly disagree. It takes me almost an hour to drive to Jackson. Risking my life driving to the other side of town.
juan j cruz
May 15, 2019 at 10:52 pm
This community definitely needs a jackson in this area so the elderly, low income have access to a jackson facility that is closer, the commute is too far and some people lack transportation and or their health umpairs them from the travel so they neglect to obtain the care tgey really neex
William
May 16, 2019 at 12:40 am
The number of hospitals in south florida is shockingly high, way way.. above average for the population counts. Jackson and the other company should not be operating another hospital Doral. There is just no need to add more beds to the region. Occupancy is down across all beds
Andres restrepo
May 16, 2019 at 11:11 am
We need with urgency the jackson at Doral.
John Miano
May 16, 2019 at 12:24 pm
We need a Jackson hospital in Doral, the time it takes and the distance is not acceptable, I do not know what politics are being played here to deny us a hospital nearby.
Rebeca C. Trujillo
May 18, 2019 at 12:16 pm
The judge should take a first-hand look at real conditions on the ground and not rely on “studies.”
Moving a patient with an emergency from Doral to any of the hospitals “in the area” between 7 am and 8 pm (even in excellent weather) is a real nightmare and puts his/her life in danger.
The city is growing by leaps and bounds, and it suffers from the worst –and sustained– traffic congestion in the county.
Carlos Perez
June 12, 2019 at 6:07 pm
I will vote positive for a new Jackson Hospital at Doral city ❤️❤️❤️ !! I am 70 year old , if I have chest pain or heart attack at 5:00 pm or 8:00 Am I would never arrive alive to Miami city or Kendall hospital on time from Doral city ! The traffic it is the worst in Florida, take hours to move from one city to another city . We have to look to the near future , Doral city does not have a public non-profit hospital !!! . The Judge Watkins does not live here ! He need better judgenment !!! We are the people, the soberan , we decided ! We are paying with our taxes ! We voted for our destinity !