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ORLANDO REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER vs. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES, 82-002804 (1982)

Court: Division of Administrative Hearings, Florida Number: 82-002804 Visitors: 17
Judges: MARVIN E. CHAVIS
Agency: Agency for Health Care Administration
Latest Update: Aug. 22, 1984
Summary: This case arises out of Orlando Regional Medical Center's objection to the issuance of a Certificate of Need to Surgical Services of Orlando, Inc., for the construction and operation of an ambulatory surgical center in Orlando, Florida. At the formal hearing, Orlando Regional Medical Center called as witnesses, Herbert E. Straughn, Norton Baker, Terry Weibley, Marlene Mariani, Michael L. Schwartz, Janice Smith, Richard Douglas Signer, Cathy Canniff Gillam, Jack Bradley, Barbara W. Miner, John Bo
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82-2804.PDF

STATE OF FLORIDA

DIVISION OF ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS


ORLANDO REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER, )

)

Petitioner, )

)

vs. ) CASE NO. 82-2804

) STATE OF FLORIDA, DEPARTMENT OF ) HEALTH AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES, )

)

Respondent. )

and )

) SURGICAL SERVICES OF ORLANDO, )

)

Intervenor. )

)


RECOMMENDED ORDER


A formal hearing was held in this matter before Marvin E. Chavis, duly designated Hearing Officer of the Division of Administrative Hearings, on April 9-13 and May 29-30, 1984, in Orlando, Florida.


APPEARANCES


For Petitioner: Steven R. Bechtel, Esquire

MATEER, HARBERT, FREY, BECHTEL, PHALIN

Post Office Box 2854 Orlando, Florida 32802


E.G. Boone, Esquire

E.G. BOONE, P.A. Post Office Box 1596

Venice, Florida 34284


P. Joseph Wright, Esquire MURRAH AND DOYLE, P.A. Post Office Box 1328 Winter Park, Florida 32790


For Intervenor, Fred W. Baggett, Esquire Surgical Michael J. Cherniga, Esquire

Services Stephen A. Ecenia, Esquire

of Orlando, ROBERTS, BAGGETT, LaFACE, RICHARD, & WISER

Inc.: Post Office Drawer 1838 Tallahassee, Florida 32302

For Respondent: Douglas L. Mannheimer, Esquire

CULPEPPER, TURNER & MANNHEIMER

Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services

318 North Calhoun Street Tallahassee, Florida 32302-3300


ISSUES AND BACKGROUND


This case arises out of Orlando Regional Medical Center's objection to the issuance of a Certificate of Need to Surgical Services of Orlando, Inc., for the construction and operation of an ambulatory surgical center in Orlando, Florida. At the formal hearing, Orlando Regional Medical Center called as witnesses, Herbert E. Straughn, Norton Baker, Terry Weibley, Marlene Mariani, Michael L. Schwartz, Janice Smith, Richard Douglas Signer, Cathy Canniff Gillam, Jack Bradley, Barbara W. Miner, John Bozard and Stephen Haar. The Intervenor, Surgical Services of Orlando, Inc., called as witnesses, Steven Haar, Janice Smith, John Bozard, Michael Means, Jerry Senne, James Leveretee, Stephen Foreman, John S. Lord, Robert C. Klettner, Albert S. Bustamante, Pedro Diaz- Borden, Alberto J. Herran, Marianna Johnson, Richard Toole, Don Newton, Hank Gerken, Gordon Kiester, Leonard J. Levine, Rufus Holloway, Brenda Brinkman, Betty Barker, Wayne Deschambeau, Mark Richardson and Rick Knapp. Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services called as its only witness, Mr. Thomas Porter. Surgical Services of Orlando, Inc., offered and had admitted into evidence 33 exhibits. At the formal hearing, the Hearing Officer reserved ruling upon SSO Exhibit No. 14 and that exhibit is admitted. Orlando Regional Medical Center offered and had admitted into evidence, 9 exhibits. At the formal hearing, the Hearing Officer reserved ruling upon SSO Exhibit No. 14 and that exhibit is admitted. Orlando Regional Medical Center offered and had admitted into evidence, 9 exhibits. At the formal hearing, Orlando Regional Medical Center was given permission to file a late-filed exhibit with Surgical Services of Orlando, Inc., and the Department having the opportunity to object to said exhibit. That exhibit has been filed as Orlando Regional Medical Center Exhibit No. 9 and consists of excerpts from the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services file relating to this application. That exhibit is admitted. The Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services offered and had admitted into evidence one exhibit. A map of Orlando reflecting the location of the various hospitals in Orange County was admitted as joint exhibit 1.


Subsequent to the formal hearing, each of the parties submitted proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law for consideration by the Hearing Officer. To the extent that those proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law are inconsistent with this order, they were considered by the Hearing Officer and rejected as being unsupported by the evidence or as unnecessary to the resolution of this cause.


FINDINGS OF FACT


  1. Surgical Services of Orlando, Inc., (hereafter referred to as SSO), is a Florida corporation based in Orlando, Florida. The stock of the corporation is owned in equal shares by Steven Foreman, Dr. Rufus Holloway and Randall Phillips. Mr. Steven Foreman is a life underwriter and financial consultant, and real estate investor in the Orlando area. He is secretary and director of SSO. Dr. Rufus Holloway is an otolaryngologist in the Orlando area and is treasurer and a director of SSO. Randall Phillips is a hospital administrator presently employed by American Medical International, Inc.

  2. Orlando Regional Medical Center, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as ORMC) is an existing hospital located in Orlando, Florida. It is a not-for-profit regional tertiary care center with 1035 beds and 24 operating rooms. ORMC has two main divisions, the Orange Division and the Holiday Division and is presently constructing a new facility, Sand Lake Division, which will open sometime in mid 1985. The Sand Lake Division will have 4 operating rooms and

    150 beds.


  3. Dr. Rufus Holloway and Steven Foreman have committed their personal resources to provide financial support for the complete development and operation of the applicant's proposed ambulatory surgical center. The facility will be constructed by a partnership, the Kaley Avenue Medical Partnership of Dr. Holloway, Mr. Foreman and Richard Toole, a citrus owner in the Orlando area, and will be leased to SSO. Two banks in the Orlando area have given commitments to provide the necessary financing for the proposed facility and start-up expenses. Pan American Bank has committed to provide a $2.5 million loan for the construction and equipping of the building and $750,000 line of credit. Dr. Holloway and Mr. Foreman, and the parties of the Kaley Avenue Partnership have sufficient financial resources to fulfill their commitments to the proposed project.


  4. The proposed building will be a one floor building containing 15,000 square feet. The total cost for the project will be $2,737,636. The building is to be constructed and equipped by the Kaley Avenue Medical Partnership and leased to SSO at $16 per square foot. The proposed site of the facility is on Kaley Avenue within two or three blocks of ORMC. Its service area will include all of Orange County.


  5. The facility will contain five operating rooms with only three of the rooms being completely equipped initially. These rooms will be used for general and local anesthesia. The remaining two rooms will be equipped as demand requires. The applicant has budgeted $743,000 for initially equipping the facility with an additional $160,000 required to equip the two remaining operating rooms. The equipment proposed by the applicant is adequate to perform those procedures which the applicant proposed to perform at its facility. In addition to the five operating rooms, the center will include laboratory, x-ray, administrative areas, as well as holding and recovery areas for the patients.


  6. The applicant projects a total number of procedures in the first year of 1,800 and 2,760 in the second year of operation. Based upon a Medicare utilization rate of 15 percent SSO projects an operating loss in the first year of $223,000 with the facility making a profit in the second quarter of the second year and generating a total profit of $766,000 in the second year. The projected break-even point is 2,448 procedures within a year. Projected revenues are based upon an average charge per case of $575. SSO also intends to accept Medicaid patients. Presently, Medicaid does not reimburse freestanding ambulatory surgical centers. Medicaid charges would be included as charity cases in the projected bad debt of 6 percent of gross revenues. Based upon an inflation rate of 8 percent per annum when SSO begins operation in January, 1986, its average charge per case will be competitive with other facilities in the area providing ambulatory surgical services. Medicare now reimburses 100 percent of the facility charges in a freestanding ambulatory facility and 80 percent for outpatient surgery in a hospital setting.


  7. Prior to opening, SSO will implement a marketing program directed to four different target groups: physicians, consumers (patients), employers and insurance carriers. SSO has retained a marketing expert who has prior

    experience in marketing ambulatory surgical care in Florida. Similar marketing has proven successful for other freestanding ambulatory surgical centers in Florida. SSO has budgeted $20,000 for pre-opening marketing expenses and

    $35,000 for the first year of operation.


  8. It is difficult upon this record to make a truly accurate comparison of outpatient surgical rates in existing facilities to the proposed average charge of SSO. ORMC presented evidence that the present average charge in ORMC and three other hospitals per outpatient case is as follows:


    ORMC

    $417.19

    Florida Hospital

    $469.86

    Winter Park

    $512.21

    Orlando General

    $560.81


    No average charges were presented into evidence for West Orange Hospital, Lucerne Hospital, or Brookwood Hospital. The evidence established that 8 percent is a reasonable inflation or increase rate for health care charges over the next two years. Applying an 8 percent inflation rate to the above average charges these charges for 1986, SSO's first year of operation would be:


    ORMC

    $486.61

    Florida Hospital

    548.04

    Winter Park

    597.44

    Orlando General

    654.13


    In calculating its present average charge of $417.19, ORMC did not include those outpatient surgeries performed at the Orange Division which are charged at inpatient rates. A memo dated January 19, 1984, to John Bozard, ORMC Vice President for Finance, from Steve Horr, ORMC Assistant Controller/Reimbursement, reflects that Holiday Division had 484 outpatient surgical cases which are estimated to generate gross revenues of $228,547. This results in an average charge per case for the month of December 1983 of $472.20. It is concluded that in 1986 the SSO projected average charge of $575 will be competitive with those existing facilities in the Orange County area.


  9. There is presently no rule which contains a specific methodology for determining need for ambulatory surgery centers. HRS uses a methodology which is based upon policy but has not been proposed or promulgated as a formal rule. The present methodology utilizes the total surgery cases for the most recent 12 month period to determine a surgical utilization rate per 1,000 population. By separating inpatient and outpatient surgeries for the same 12-month period, a percentage ratio of outpatient surgery cases to total surgeries is established. Applying the utilization rate to future projected population, HRS then determines the total projected surgeries for future years and from this number calculates the projected outpatient surgeries which will be performed in existing facilities.


  10. Literature relating to ambulatory surgeries projects that 18 to 40 percent of all surgical procedures performed could be performed in an outpatient setting. In calculating total potential surgeries HRS utilizes 29 percent as the potential surgeries that can be performed in an outpatient setting. The 29 percent factor is the mean of 18 percent to 40 percent and appears reasonable in light of the fact ORMC, Holiday Division, Winter Park Memorial and Orlando General had outpatient surgery of 29.4 percent, 30.1 percent and 30.6 percent respectively for 1983. Applying the 29 percent factor to projected total surgeries, HRS calculates the projected potential ambulatory surgery for a given

    year in the future. Subtracting those outpatient surgeries which will be performed in existing facilities from the total potential outpatient surgeries provides the unmet need for outpatient surgical care. This need is reflected in total cases.


  11. In evaluating ambulatory surgical applications, HRS utilizes a two year planning horizon. It is projected that SSO would begin operation January 1, 1986, and therefore under the HRS methodology, 1986 and 1987 become the relevant years for the HRS methodology, 1986 and 1987 became the relevant years for looking at projected need. Using the methodology described above, HRS projects the potential number of outpatient surgical cases which could be performed in other than a hospital setting to be 7,203 and 7,347 for 1986 and 1987, respectively. HRS projects the break-even level of the SSO facility at 2,693 surgical cases per year. Subtracting the SSO break-even factor from 7,203 and 7,347 results in an unmet need even after the SSO facility is in operation of 4,510 and 4,654 surgical cases in 1986 and 1987.


  12. HRS calculated the outpatient utilization rate in existing hospitals in 1983 to be 15.3 percent. If the unmet need of 4,510 and 4,654 in 1986 and 1987 was met by these existing facilities, that utilization rate would increase to 24 percent or approximately 1 1/2 times the 1983 rate. The projected utilization for the SSO facility for 1986 and 1987 will constitute only about 20 percent and 30 percent respectively of the unmet need for outpatient surgery in those years.


  13. The applicant in projecting need used a five year planning horizon to project need for ambulatory surgical services in Orange County for the year 1989. Under SSO's methodology, an outpatient utilization rate of 30 percent, 35 percent and 40 percent was used to project the total potential outpatient or ambulatory surgeries for the year assuming a total surgical utilization rate of

    101.45 cases per thousand. Using these assumptions, the applicant projected unmet need for ambulatory surgeries in Orange County in 1989 as:


    Percentage of Ambulatory Surgery

    Unmet Need

    30%

    6,357

    35%

    9,246

    40%

    12,136


    Although the projected unmet need is somewhat lower than that projected by HRS, it does reflect a need for the SSO facility.


  14. The methodology used by ORMC utilizes what ORMC's experts described as the "excess capacity theory." This methodology is based upon the assumption that no need exists for an ambulatory surgical center until such time as all excess capacity in the existing operating suites in Orange County is utilized. Using this approach, ORMC contends that of the 79 total operating suites in Orange County, there are presently 39 excess operating suites available to perform outpatient surgery. By multiplying total number of hours per day per operating room times 260 days, ORMC calculates the total available hours of operation of an operating suite and by multiplying this number times the total number of suites, the total available hours or operating room time for a facility is determined. The total available hours is then divided by the average operating room time for all procedures performed to determine the total number of potential procedures.


  15. Using this approach, ORMC's expert opined that there is potential for 95,513 - 98,980 total surgical cases in the existing 79 operating rooms in

    Orange County These 79 rooms include the 4 new operating suites in ORMC's Sand Lake facility as well as the 4 suite in Florida Hospital's new freestanding ambulatory surgical center. Subtracting the total procedures of 47,712 from the potential capacity, ORMC projects an available excess capacity for growth of 47,801 to 51,268 surgical cases in Orange County.


  16. Also using total available hours, hours per average procedure and total hours required for procedure presently being performed, ORMC's expert calculated the number of operating suites presently required. By subtracting this number from the number of existing suites, the ORMC expert concluded that there are presently 39 excess operating suites in Orange County.


  17. Once the ORMC Sand Lake facility and the Florida Hospital Freestanding Ambulatory Center (FAC) open, there will be a total or 79 operating suites in Orange County. These are divided as follows:


    ORMC, Orange Division

    14

    ORMC, Holiday Division

    10

    Winter Park Memorial

    10

    Orlando General

    4

    West Orange

    3

    Lucerne

    8

    Brookewood

    5

    Florida Hospital

    17

    Florida Hospital, FAC

    4

    ORMC, Sand Lake

    4


    79


    At present, ORMC, Holiday Division, is the only facility operating dedicated ambulatory surgical suites. There are no applications pending for dedicated outpatient facilities within hospitals or for a freestanding ambulatory surgical facility. No such applications have been filed for these types of facilities since the SSO application was filed. Each of the existing facilities listed above performs outpatient surgery to some degree.


  18. On August 16, 1982, Florida Hospital was issued a Certificate of Need to construct a freestanding ambulatory surgical center. That facility will contain four operating suites and is expected to begin operation in mid 1984. Once this facility is complete, Florida Hospital will not perform outpatient surgery in its 17 other suites, except when special equipment which is available only in those suites is required.


  19. Outpatient surgery at Winter Park Memorial and Orlando General now comprises approximately 30 percent of the total surgeries performed at those facilities. Lucerne Hospital operates no separate ambulatory surgery unit and favors SSO's application.


  20. ORMC has been performing outpatient surgery for over 20 years. However, the specific facilities in which outpatient surgery has been performed have changed during this period of time. Prior to August 1979, outpatient surgery was performed at the Five North unit in the Orange Division as well as at the Holiday Division. At that time, Orange Five North was closed for renovation and outpatient surgery was concentrated in Holiday One East.


  21. In October 1981, an outpatient surgery review committee was established by ORMC to examine more efficient ways to conduct outpatient surgery and to improve utilization of certain departments at the Holiday Division. The

    end result was a decision to concentrate outpatient surgery at ORMC in one designated unit to be known as Outpatient Day Surgery ("ODS"), and to provide a financial incentive for physicians and patients to utilize the unit. One of the primary reasons for concentrating outpatient surgery in Holiday One East was the inefficiency and increased cost of staffing the units. Outpatient census counts were resulting in overstaffing the 3 to 11 shift. To encourage doctors and patients to utilize Holiday One East, ORMC reduced the rates for outpatient surgery in the ODS unit by approximately 40 percent. Although some outpatient surgery continues to be performed at the Orange Division the charge for such surgeries is at the inpatient rates rather than the reduced rates utilized by the ODS.


  22. The ORMC Board of Directors approved the capital expenditure to renovate the Holiday One East area into the ODS unit on September 20, 1982. The ODS unit was renovated at a cost of approximately $600,000, which was below the Certificate of Need threshold requirement. The ODS unit opened on November 28, 1983. The ODS unit is open Monday through Friday, and utilizes a ten hour day with general anesthesia administered to outpatients from 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. ODS patients use a separate and distinct entrance to the Holiday Division and have a designated parking area east of the hospital. There are sixteen semi- private holding beds and four recliner chairs located within the ODS unit. The average case load and length of stay are such that holding beds may be used for more than one outpatient per day. As a result of instances where there have been shortages of holding beds for outpatients, ORMC beginning April 2, 1984, established an overflow area of ten beds on the third floor of the Holiday Division. As of May 29, 1984, this overflow area had been utilized on three occasions.


  23. The ODS unit contains two dedicated operating rooms where only local anesthesia can be administered. Outpatient procedures requiring general anesthesia are performed in the eight general operating suites of the Holiday Division. These eight operating suites are also used for inpatient surgery. Outpatients are placed in the same holding and recovery areas where inpatients are held. The staff in these areas serve inpatients and outpatients.


  24. The ODS unit averages 15 to 16 outpatients per day. In 1983, outpatient surgery comprised 29.4 percent of the total surgeries performed at the Holiday Division. This was a slight increase over the 27.7 percent outpatient percentage for that same division for the previous year. Presently, the two dedicated local anesthesia rooms are being utilized approximately 40 percent of the time. The present utilization rate of the entire Holiday Division is approximately 50 to 55 percent to as much as 80 percent depending upon the particular day of the week. The 80 percent rate is attained on a regular basis at least once per week.


  25. ORMC has been issued a Certificate of Need for a children's hospital. As presently designed and approved, the construction of the children's hospital will require the demolition of Holiday One East where the ODS unit is located. It is uncertain where the ODS unit would be relocated. The master facility plan approved by the ORMC Board of Directors includes the construction of a freestanding ambulatory diagnostic center which will include ambulatory surgery.


  26. Depending upon the staff and its efficiency and the quality of care provided, a freestanding ambulatory center offers several advantages over outpatient units within hospitals. In such a freestanding facility, only outpatient surgery is performed and the staff and physicians, including anesthesiologists, can be specialized in outpatient surgery. In the

    freestanding facility, outpatients are not mixed with inpatients. A substantial portion of those patients utilizing outpatient surgery are well patients having elective surgery performed. By specializing in outpatient surgery only, overall operating costs are likely to be less and should result in reduced patient costs. In a hospital setting, there is on occasion a problem with "bumping" elective surgery for emergencies. This would not occur in a freestanding ambulatory surgery facility. Patients will have shorter waits in the facility and Medicare patients will be reimbursed 100 percent rather than the 80 percent reimbursed in a hospital setting.


  27. The 550 application is consistent with the applicable criteria enumerated in Section 381.494(6)(c), Florida Statutes and need for its facility exists in Orange County.


  28. Of the thirteen governing criteria, the parties have stipulated that the criteria contained in Subsections 6, 7, 10 and 11 of Section 381.494(6)(c), Florida Statutes, are not applicable to this proceeding. In addition, the parties stipulated that Subsection 1 of Section 381.494(6)(c), Florida Statutes, is not applicable to this proceeding to the extent that there is no applicable district health plan or state health plan pertaining to ambulatory or outpatient surgery.


    CONCLUSIONS OF LAW


  29. The Division of Administrative Hearings has jurisdiction over the parties and subject matter of this action.


  30. There is no specific HRS rule relating to ambulatory surgery facilities. The parties have stipulated that certain criteria under Section 381.494(6)(c), Florida Statutes, are not applicable to this proceeding. The remaining applicable criteria which are now at issue include:


    1. The availability, quality of care, effic- iency, appropriateness, accessibility, extent of utilization, and adequacy of like and existing health care services and hospices in the service district of the applicant.

    2. The ability of the applicant to provide quality of care.

    3. The availability and adequacy of other health care facilities and services and hospices in the service district of the applicant, such as outpatient care and ambulatory of home care services, which may serve as alternatives for the health care facilities and services to be provided by the applicant.

    4. Probable economies and improvements in service that may be derived from operation of joint, cooperative, or shared health care resources.

      * * *

      1. The availability of resources, including health manpower, management personnel, and funds for capital and operating expenditures, for project accomplishment and operation; the effects the project will have on clinical

        needs of health professional training programs in the service district; the extent to which the services will be accessible to schools

        for health professions in the service district for training purposes if such services are available in a limited number of facilities; the availability of alternative uses of such resources for the provision of other health services; and the extent to which the proposed services will be accessible to all residents of the service district.

      2. The immediate and long-term financial feasibility of the proposal.

      * * *

      1. The probable impact of the proposed project on the costs of providing health services proposed by the applicant, upon consideration of factors including, but not limited to, the effects of competition on the supply of health services which foster competition and service to promote quality assurance and cost-effectiveness.

      2. The costs and methods of the proposed construction, including the costs and methods of energy provision and the availability of alternative, less costly or more effective methods of construction.


  31. There is presently one operating ambulatory surgical unit in Orange County. That facility, the ODS unit at ORMC, may be demolished and relocated as a result of the construction by ORMC of a new children's hospital. Florida Hospital has a four suite freestanding ambulatory surgery center under construction. That unit will perform the outpatient surgery which is presently being performed in Florida Hospital's existing 17 operating rooms. No applications for expansion or addition of ambulatory surgical services is pending in Orange County and no such applications have been filed in Orange County since the SSO application was approved by HRS.


  32. The major issue raised in this proceeding was the question of need. The evidence established a potential unmet outpatient need of 7203 cases per year by 1986. Even with increased outpatient utilization of existing operating suites there is ample need for the facility proposed by SSO. ORMC contends that there is presently an excess capacity of 39 operating suites and that this excess capacity is more than sufficient to absorb the increasing demand for outpatient surgery. This "excess capacity" argument assumes that all operating suites in Orange County are equally available for the providing of outpatient surgery. The evidence in fact established that Florida Hospital does not intend to perform outpatient surgery in its existing 17 operating suites once its ambulatory surgical unit is operating. ORMC plans to continue discouraging use of the Orange Division for outpatient surgery by charging inpatient rates which are at least 30 to 40 percent higher than the rates charged at Holiday Division for the same outpatient surgery. Lucerne, with eight operating suites, has no separate ambulatory surgery program and favors the SSO application. Of the seven hospitals performing outpatient surgery in Orange County, ORMC is the only facility which challenged the SSO application. The evidence established that existing facilities are not equally available to perform ambulatory surgery and that Florida Hospital and ORMC do not intend to utilize at least 31 operating

    rooms for ambulatory surgery on a regular basis. The HRS and SSO methodologies also have weaknesses but are more reasonable in light of the present status of outpatient surgery in Orange County. These methodologies demonstrate a clear need for the SSO facility.


  33. Without the establishment of ambulatory surgical programs, neither the patients nor the third party payors will receive the benefit of the reduction in costs resulting from increased efficiency, lower overhead, and more efficient staffing. Existing hospitals have not applied for nor established ambulatory surgical units within their hospitals. The staffing and equipment and facility design reflect that the SSO facility will be more than adequate to perform the procedures it intends to provide.


  34. The evidence established that a freestanding ambulatory surgical center is an alternative to hospital based surgery and has several advantages which cannot be obtained in facilities where both inpatient and outpatient surgery is being performed. SSO has established that it can provide quality care in a financially feasible manner and will provide a less costly alternative to those facilities which have not established separate ambulatory services and charges. The proposed facility has been shown to be financially feasible both for the short-term and the long-term.


  35. The contention by ORMC that the SSO application was not properly filed and reviewed by HRS is found to be without merit.


  36. It is therefore concluded that the applicant has established that its application is consistent with the applicable criteria under Section 381.494(6)(c), Florida Statutes. Petitioner, ORMC, failed to demonstrate that the applicants proposed facility is not in compliance with the statutory and regulatory criteria.


RECOMMENDATION


Based upon the foregoing findings of fact and conclusions of law, it is, RECOMMENDED

That HRS issue a Certificate of Need to Surgical Services of Orlando, Inc., to construct and operate a freestanding, five operating room ambulatory surgery center in Orange County.


DONE AND ENTERED this 2nd day of July, 1984, in Tallahassee, Florida.


MARVIN E. CHAVIS

Hearing Officer

Division of Administrative Hearings The Oakland Building

2009 Apalachee Parkway

Tallahassee, Florida 32301

(904) 488-9675


Filed with the Clerk of the Division of Administrative Hearings this 3rd day of July, 1984.

COPIES FURNISHED:


Douglas L. Mannheimer, Esq. CULPEPPER, TURNER & MANNERED

318 North Call on Street Tallahassee, Florida 32302-3300


Fred W. Baggett, Esq.

ROBERTS, BAGGETT, LaFACE, RICHARD, & WISER

P.O. Drawer 1838 Tallahassee, Florida 32302


E. G. Boone, Esq.

P.O. Box 1596

Venice, Florida 34284


Steven R. Bechtel, Esq. MATEER, HARBERT, FREY

BECHTEL AND PHALIN, PA

P.O. Box 2854

Orlando, Florida 32802


P. Joseph Wright, Esq. MURRAH AND DOYLE, P.A.

P.O. Box 1328

Winter Park, Florida 32790


David Pingree, Secretary Department of Health

and Rehabilitative Services 1323 Winewood Boulevard

Tallahassee, Florida 32301


Docket for Case No: 82-002804
Issue Date Proceedings
Aug. 22, 1984 Final Order filed.
Jul. 03, 1984 Recommended Order sent out. CASE CLOSED.

Orders for Case No: 82-002804
Issue Date Document Summary
Aug. 20, 1984 Agency Final Order
Jul. 03, 1984 Recommended Order Petitioner's challenge to issue of Certificate of Need (CON) to Intervenor failed.
Source:  Florida - Division of Administrative Hearings

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