Findings Of Fact Upon consideration of the oral and documentary evidence adduced at the hearing, as well as the stipulation of facts "entered into by all parties, the following relevant facts are found: Along with six other applicants, the petitioner, Health Quest Corporation, d/b/a Lake Pointe Woods Health Center, and the respondent, Quality Health Facilities, Inc., d/b/a Sarasota Health Care Center, submitted applications for a Certificate of Need to construct and operate new nursing homes in Sarasota County, In June of 1982, the respondent Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services (HRS) determined to issue the application of Sarasota Health Care Center and deny the remaining seven applications. For the purposes of this proceeding, the parties have stipulated that there is a need for at least a 120-bed skilled and intermediate care nursing home in the Sarasota, Florida area. In November, 1982, respondent HRS adopted Rule 10- 5.11(21) , Florida Administrative Code, which provides a formula methodology for determining the number of nursing home beds needed in areas throughout the State. Briefly summarizing, this formula begins with a bed to population ratio of 27 per thousand population age 65 and over, and then modifies that ratio by applying a poverty ratio calculated for each district. The theoretical bed need ratio established for Sarasota County by this portion of the Rule's formula is 23.2 nursing home beds per thousand elderly population projected three years into the future. The population figures to be utilized in the formula are the latest mid-range projections published by the Bureau of Economic and Business Research (BEBR) at the University of Florida. After determining the theoretical need for nursing home beds in an area, the Rule purports to determine the actual demand for beds by determining the current utilization of licensed community nursing home beds, establishing a current utilization threshold and, if this is satisfied, applying a prospective utilization test too determine the number of beds at any given time. Applying the formula methodology set forth in Rule 10- 5.11(21) to Sarasota County results in a finding that there are currently 807 excess nursing home beds in that County. The need for sheltered nursing home beds within a life care facility are considered separately in Rule 10-5.11(22), Florida Administrative Code. Generally speaking, need is determined on the basis of one nursing home bed for every four residential units in the life care facility. Elderly persons 75 years of age and older utilize nursing homes to a greater extent than those persons between the ages of 65 and 74. Persons under the age of 65, particularly handicapped individuals, also utilize nursing home beds. The formula set forth in Rule 10-5.11(21) does not consider those individuals under the age of 65, and it does not provide a weighted factor for the age 75 and over population. In the past, the BEBR mid-range population projections for Sarasota County, compared with the actual census reached, have been low. Petitioner Health Quest, an Indiana corporation, currently owns and/or operates some 2,400 existing nursing home beds in approximately 13 facilities in Indiana. It holds several Certificates of Need for nursing homes in Florida and construction is under way. Petitioner owns 53 acres of land on the South Tamiami Trail in Sarasota, upon which it is constructing a 474-unit retirement center. It seeks to construct on six of the 53 acres a 120-bed nursing home adjacent to the retirement center. Of the 120 beds, it is proposed that 60 will be for intermediate care and 60 will be for skilled care. The facility will offer ancillary services in the areas of speech, hearing, physical, occupational, and recreational therapy. Thirty-five intermediate care beds would be classified as beds to be used for Medicaid recipients and the facility would be Medicare certified. Retirement center residents will have priority over nursing home beds. The total capital expenditure for the petitioner's proposed nursing home project was estimated in its application to be $3.1 million, with a cost per square foot of $46.29 and a cost per bed of approximately $26,000,00. As of the date of the hearing, the estimated capital expenditure for the petitioner's project as $3.9 million. The respondent Quality Health Facilities, Inc., d/b/a Sarasota Health Care Center (QHF), is a Mississippi corporation and owns nursing homes in Tennessee, North Carolina and Haines City, Florida, the latter site having been opened in August of 1983. It also holds three other outstanding Certificates of Need. QHF proposes to construct a 120-bed nursing home containing intermediate and skilled care beds which will be equally available to all members of the community. It is anticipated that it will have approximately 65 percent Medicaid usage and 5 percent Medicare usage. Though it has not yet selected its site, QHF plans to utilize a four-acre site near the City of Venice in Sarasota County. At the time of the application, the total capital expenditure for QHF's proposed project was estimated to be $2.3 million. Its construction costs were estimated at $1.16 million or $33.14 per square foot. QHF's recently constructed Haines City nursing home facility was completed at a construction cost of $1.22 million, or $31.00, per square foot. The Sarasota County facility will utilize the same basic design as the Haines City facility. At the current time, the cost of construction would be increased by an inflation factor of about ten percent. As of the date of the hearing, the projected capital expenditure for QHF's Sarasota County proposed facility was approximately $2.6 million or about $21,000.00 per bed. The owners of QHF are willing and able to supply the necessary working capital to make the proposed nursing home a viable operation. As depicted by the projected interest and depreciation expenses, the QHF facility will have lower operating expenses than the facility proposed by petitioner, Health Quest. In Sarasota County, there is a direct correlation between high Medicaid utilization and high facility occupancy. The long term financial feasibility of a 120-bed nursing home in Sarasota County is undisputed, as is the availability, quality of care, efficiency, appropriateness, accessibility, extent of utilization and adequacy of like and existing services in the health service area.
Recommendation Based upon the findings of fact and conclusions of law recited herein, it is RECOMMENDED that the application of Health Quest Corporation d/b/a Lake Pointe Woods Health Care, Inc. for a Certificate of Need to construct a 120-bed nursing home in Sarasota County be DENIED. It is further RECOMMENDED that the application of Quality Health Facilities Inc. d/b/a Sarasota Health Care Center for a Certificate of Need to construct a 120-bed nursing home facility in Sarasota County be GRANTED. Respectfully submitted and entered this 31st Day of October, 1983, in Tallahassee, Florida. DIANE D. TREMOR, 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 31st day of October, 1983. COPIES FURNISHED: John M. Laird, Esquire 315 West Jefferson Blvd. South Bend, Indiana 46601 John T. C. Low, Esquire Paul L. Gunn, Esquire Low & McMullan 1530 Capital Towers Post Office Box 22966 Jackson, Mississippi 39205 James M. Barclay, Esquire Assistant General Counsel 1317 Winewood Blvd. Suite 256 Tallahassee, Florida 32301 David Pingree, Secretary Department of Health & Rehabilitative Services 1323 Winewood Blvd. Tallahassee, Florida 32301
Findings Of Fact Prior to the hearing, the parties filed a Pretrial Stipulation which essentially sets forth the following facts contained in paragraphs 1 through 9: The Intervenors Beverly Enterprises, Inc. (hereafter "Beverly"), and Provincial House of Florida (hereafter "Provincial House"), filed their applications for certificates of need on March 18, 1981, and January 28, 1981, respectively. At the time Beverly and Provincial House filed their applications for 120-bed nursing home facilities, they were batched together with Health Care Management, Inc. (hereafter "Health Care"). Shortly thereafter, Health Care was granted a certificate of need to construct a 120-bed nursing home facility and Beverly's and Provincial House's applications were denied on July 8, 1981, and June 3, 1981, respectively. Beverly and Provincial House timely filed petitions with the Division of Administrative Hearings contesting the denial of their respective applications. By Stipulation dated December 29, 1981, Beverly and Provincial House were granted certificates of need which gave each the right to construct a 96- bed nursing home facility. This Stipulation was later amended on February 21, 1982, to authorize construction of two 72-bed nursing homes in Lee County, Florida. Based upon the new 1982 Health Systems Plan for Lee County, an additional 143 beds were determined to be needed for Lee County for the year 1985. Neither Beverly nor Provincial House resubmitted their applications when the new bed need was established. Rather, as part of the settlement in Provincial House, Inc. v. Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services, Case No. 81-1793, and Beverly Enterprises v. Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services, Case No. 81-2037, the certificates of need were granted based upon receipt of ". . . updated population figures which demonstrated additional need for nursing home beds in the County." Petitioner's Exhibit 3. At the time the Department entered into the Stipulation with Beverly and Provincial House, it did not consider Gulf Court's then pending application. The sole reason the certificate of need was denied to Gulf Court Nursing Center on March 30, 1982, was that there were no longer beds available and there was no need as a direct result of granting the two certificates of need to Beverly and Provincial House. Since Gulf Court's application was never simultaneously reviewed or considered by the Department with either Beverly or Provincial House's applications, a comparative hearing was not held in this case. Gulf Court, Beverly and Provincial House all meet the criteria for issuance of a certificate as set forth in Rule 10-5.11, Florida Administrative Code. The Respondent Department routinely awards certificates of need on a first-come, first-serve basis to applicants denied certificates due to a lack of need in a previous cycle, who file Chapter 120 appeals, without reviewing pending applications filed in the current cycle.
Recommendation Based on the foregoing findings of fact and conclusions of law, it is RECOMMENDED: That the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services enter a Final Order finding that, under the circumstances presented in this case, Gulf Court is entitled to a comparative and competitive review with Provincial House and Beverly Enterprises, Inc. DONE AND ENTERED this 10th day of February 1984 in Tallahassee, Florida. SHARYN L. SMITH Hearing Officer Division of Administrative Hearings The Oakland Building 2009 Apalachee Parkway Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1550 (904) 488-9675 Filed with the Clerk of the Division of Administrative Hearings this 10th day of February 1984. COPIES FURNISHED: John C. Dent, Jr., Esquire DENT PFLUGNER ROSIER AND HENDRICKS 2 North Tuttle Avenue Sarasota, Florida 33577 Steven Huss, Esquire Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services 1317 Winewood Boulevard Tallahassee, Florida 32301 G. Boone, Esquire Susan Lee Stockham, Esquire 1001 Avenida del Circo Post Office Box 1596 Venice, Florida 32484 Alicia Jacobs, General Counsel Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services 1323 Winewood Boulevard Tallahassee, Florida 32301 David H. Pingree, Secretary Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services 1323 Winewood Boulevard Tallahassee, Florida 32301 =================================================================
The Issue This case involves the issue of whether the certificate of need law applies to Whitehall Boca's intended conversion of 100 beds in an adult congregate living facility to skilled nursing beds. The second issue is, in the event that it is determined that the certificate of need law does apply, whether Whitehall Boca is entitled to convert a limited number of its adult congregate living facility beds to skilled nursing beds without the need for obtaining a certificate of need in accordance with Section 381.494(1)(d), Florida Statutes. At the final hearing Petitioner called Carol J. Wortham, Steve Mulder, and Jeffrey W. Smith. The Respondent called as its only witness Gene Nelson. The Petitioner offered and had admitted into evidence seventeen exhibits. The Respondent offered and had admitted into four exhibits. Subsequent to the final hearing, the parties submitted proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law for consideration by the Hearing Officer. To the extent that those proposed findings and conclusions of law are inconsistent with this Recommended Order, they were rejected by the Hearing Officer as unsupported by the evidence or as unnecessary to the resolution of this cause.
Findings Of Fact Whitehall Boca is a 187-bed health care facility located in Boca Raton, Palm Beach County, Florida. Sixty-nine (69) of Whitehall Boca's beds are licensed by the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services as skilled nursing beds in accordance with Chapter 400, Part I, Florida Statutes. One hundred eighteen (118) of Whitehall Boca's beds are licensed by the Department as an adult congregate living facility (hereafter ACLF) in accordance with Chapter 400, Part II, Florida Statutes. Whitehall Boca is seeking to convert 100 of its adult congregate living facility beds to skilled nursing beds. Whitehall Boca holds two separate licenses for the nursing home beds and for the ACLF. Whitehall Boca was opened on December 17, 1982, and was the culmination of the owner's goal of attempting to build the finest nursing home that has ever been built. The Whitehall Boca facility has received a superior rating from the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services' office of licensure. The cost of construction of Whitehall Boca was approximately five and one-half million dollars. The funds for this construction were obtained from 100 percent private funds, which was arranged by Oak Park Trust Bank in Illinois and invested capital provided by the Mulder family. The loans were not guaranteed by the federal government or any governmental entity whatsoever. The 100 existing ACLF beds which Petitioner seeks to convert fully comply with all applicable federal, state and local license requirements for skilled nursing beds in their present condition. Only a few ancillary items such as medicine carts would be needed in order to make the conversion. Such items would involve a capital expenditure of no more than $5,000 to $6,000. The Respondent conceded at the formal hearing that cost of conversion is not an issue. It has been the policy of Whitehall Boca since 1955 not to accept federal funds nor to accept Medicaid or Medicare patients. Whitehall Boca does not accept Medicare and Medicaid patients in any of its homes because they offer an elite type of nursing home care which is not offered in other existing nursing homes. Whitehall Boca did not obtain its initial certificate of need for the 69 skilled nursing home beds by the usual statutory procedure. Whitehall Boca purchased Health Care Corporation, the entity who had originally obtained the certificate of need. However, after Whitehall Boca obtained the certificate of need, it applied for a license from DHRS and specifically informed them in its application that it would not accept Medicare or Medicaid patients. Whitehall Boca, an Illinois limited partnership, owns and operates the 187-bed nursing home complex in Boca Raton, Florida. At present, this is the only home owned by the Petitioner in the State of Florida. Whitehall Boca is owned by a father and a son, Paul and Steve Mulder. They own three nursing homes in Chicago, Illinois. Daily rates for the skilled nursing home beds at Whitehall Boca are $68 per day for three persons to a room, $80 per day for two persons to a room, with private rooms beginning at $125 per day. These rates are substantially higher than most other nursing homes in the area. Whitehall Boca caters to a very small segment of the population that is able to afford the luxuries and amenities available at Whitehall Boca. For most residents who have chosen the luxury accommodations at Whitehall Boca, the only alternative which would provide comparable care and maintenance of their lifestyle, would be private duty nursing arrangements at home. In the alternative to a total exemption from certificate of need review, Whitehall Boca contends it is entitled to convert 18 of its ACLF beds to skilled nursing beds without CON review pursuant to the provisions of Section 381.494(1)(d), Florida Statutes. DHRS does not consider an ACLF a health care facility and contends therefore that Section 381.494(1)(d) is not applicable to Petitioner's request.
Recommendation Based upon the foregoing findings of fact and conclusions of law, it is RECOMMENDED: That a final order be entered by the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services denying an exemption for Petitioner to convert ACLF beds to skilled nursing home beds and requiring that such a request be subject to review under Sections 381.493, et seq., Florida Statutes. DONE AND ENTERED this 6th day of July, 1984, at 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 6th day of July, 1984. COPIES FURNISHED: Jean Laramore, Esquire G. Steven Pfeiffer, Esquire Laramore & Clark, P.A. 325 North Calhoun Street Tallahassee, Florida 32301 Douglas L. Mannheimer, Esquire Culpepper, Turner and Mannheimer Post Office Drawer 11300 Tallahassee, Florida 32301-3300 David H. Pingree, Secretary Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services 1321 Winewood Boulevard Tallahassee, Florida 32301
Findings Of Fact Based upon the testimony of the witnesses and the documentary evidence received at the hearing, the following findings of fact are made: Case background and the parties: The Department is the state agency charged with the responsibility of issuing, revoking, or denying certificates of need for health care facilities or services. In that regard the Department has promulgated a rule for computing the need for new or additional community nursing home beds. The methodology of the rule (now Rule 10-5.036, Florida Administrative Code) calculates a specific number of beds anticipated to be needed for a given planning horizon. Once calculated, the Department publishes the calculated need for the district/subdistrict. Additional beds are generally not authorized if their approval would cause the total number of beds approved to exceed the number of beds calculated to be needed under the rule. The Department is not, however, obligated to approve beds so that the total number of beds calculated to be needed are approved, i.e. the Department may, as in this case, approve only a portion of those beds thought to be needed. In this case, the Department published a projected need for 165 additional beds in Orange County, Florida. That bed pool was calculated for the January, 1993 planning horizon and was published in the Florida Administrative Weekly on April 13, 1990. The calculated need published in this case has not been challenged and, therefore, was not at issue in these proceedings. At the time need was computed, there were 2,797 licensed beds in Orange County with an additional 505 approved nursing beds. The occupancy rate for the county was just under 93 percent. Following the publication of the need figures, letters of intent and applications were filed by health care providers seeking to obtain approvals for the available nursing beds. Coordinated Care, Inc. filed an application (CON #6287) for approval to develop a new, freestanding 120 bed community nursing home. The project was estimated to require a capital expenditure of $6,000,000 and would provide 24 beds in a subacute care unit. Florida Convalescent Centers, Inc. filed an application (CON #6292) for approval to develop a 60 bed addition to its existing facility known as Palm Garden of Orlando (CON #2991). If approved, the total number of nursing beds for that facility would then be 120 beds. The project cost for the expansion was estimated at $1,648,638. It was proposed that financing and management for the facility would be provided by National HealthCorp., Ltd. Marriott Retirement Communities, Inc. filed an application (CON #6290) for approval of a 39 bed community nursing home facility to be built as a component of a retirement community to be known as Brighton Gardens Nursing Center. The project cost for the Marriott proposal was $2,613,919. The Department's preliminary action in this case was to grant the CONs requested by Marriott and Florida Convalescent and to deny the application filed by Coordinated Care. Health Quest Management Corporation VII (Health Quest) operates an existing 120 bed nursing home in Orange County, Florida. That nursing home is known as Regents Park. Health Quest also operates Regents Woods, an adult congregate living facility, in Orange County. Health Quest opposes the proposed approval of CON #6290 for Marriott. Coordinated Care opposes the proposed approval of CON #6292 for Florida Convalescent and affirmatively alleges it is entitled, as the superior co-batched applicant, to the approval of its application. The petitions filed by Coordinated Care and Health Quest challenging the Department's preliminary action were timely. As to Case no. 90-7563: At the outset of the hearing, the parties stipulated that the following review criteria found in Section 381.705, Florida Statutes, were not at issue or were inapplicable to this case: Subsections 381.705(1)(d),(e),(f),(g),(j),(k),(m), and (2)(b) and (c). As to all other relevant criteria, Florida Convalescent and Coordinated Care were comparatively reviewed for CON approval by the Department and are so reviewed in this order. Florida Convalescent is a nursing home company currently operating twelve nursing homes in Florida, including Palm Garden of Orlando (Palm Garden). Palm Garden is a 60 bed facility that was constructed according to a 120 bed prototype. The facility was designed to have three sections: two 60 bed patient wings and a center, nonliving area for the operations of the facility. The kitchen, dining room area, therapy spaces, office spaces and open areas have already been constructed and are currently utilized for the existing 60 bed unit. The approval of the CON here would allow the completion of the final 60 bed wing. Palm Garden is managed by National Healthcorp, Ltd. (National), a nursing home company headquartered in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. National provides financial, developmental, and management services to nursing home companies in nine states. National prepared the CON application in this case on behalf of Florida Convalescent. If approved, National will continue to manage the Palm Garden facility in Orlando. As part of the 60 bed extension, Palm Garden will have specialized programs for Alzheimer's patients, subacute care, and special respite care. The approval of the 60 extension will allow these programs to be expanded and Florida Convalescent has indicated its willingness to accept as a condition of its CON an obligation to provide such special care programs. Currently, the profile of Palm Garden patients can be summarized as follows: 70 percent Medicaid, 25 percent private pay, and 5 percent Medicare. Florida Convalescent has agreed to commit to providing 58 percent of its services to Medicaid patients, and has indicated its willingness to accept as a condition of its CON such a provision. National has agreed to finance 1.6 million dollars of expenses for the Florida Convalescent proposal. The total project cost associated with the proposal is $3,333,119. Coordinated Care is a management company whose principals, Fred A. Lane and Patricia Lane, his wife, operate four nursing home facilities in Volusia County, Florida. If approved, Mr. Lane will administer Coordinated Care's facility in Orange County. It is proposed that the Coordinated Care facility will have 120 beds with a 24 bed subacute unit. The subacute unit will provide care for AIDS patients, ventilator dependent patients, and IV therapy. Additionally, the Coordinated Care proposal offers a program for mentally impaired patients including those with Alzheimer's and will also offer a respite care program. Coordinated Care is willing to accept as conditions on its certificate of need the following commitments: to exceed minimums on direct care staff to patient ratios by 10 percent; to provide service to AIDS patients; to offer 48 percent Medicaid and 15 percent Medicare; and to provide the subacute programs previously described. The Department's District 7, subdistrict Orange County, has a need for additional nursing home beds. The District 7 Local Health Plan cites recommendations regarding new nursing home beds for the District. Those recommendations speak to the needs of the District as a whole and are not ranked by priority of interest. In this case, both applicants, Coordinated Care and Florida Convalescent, will provide nursing services to AIDS patients. The Coordinated Care application recognized the need for a staff education program to provide AIDS training and committed the applicant to provide care for AIDS patients. The Florida Convalescent application did not address AIDS patients specifically because no AIDS patient has sought admission at the existing facility. Florida Convalescent will conduct staff education for AIDS patients, however, and will not deny admission to AIDS patients. Both Coordinated Care and Florida Convalescent will provide, and will commit to provide, specific levels of Medicaid patients. In this context, Florida Convalescent's history (63 percent) and proposed commitment (58 percent) to Medicaid utilization is greater than that offered by Coordinated Care (48 percent). With regard to indigent or charity care, Florida Convalescent currently provides such care at Palm Garden of Orlando. Both Coordinated Care and Florida Convalescent have demonstrated a commitment to high quality nursing home care. Palm Garden of Orlando is a superior rated nursing home and has, additionally, established a high quality service rating among homes managed by National. Similarly, the Lane family homes have experienced superior ratings and are committed to quality care. Both Coordinated Care and Florida Convalescent have demonstrated good track records for employee recruitment, training, and benefits. Additionally, the salary and bonus offers make both providers an attractive employer. Palm Garden of Orlando currently has ties to nursing programs in the Orlando area and is close geographically to Valencia Community College and the University of Central Florida. It is anticipated that Coordinated Care will be able to establish such ties in the Orlando area since it has done so in Volusia County. Both Florida Convalescent and Coordinated Care have demonstrated that their proposals in Orange County meet the State Health Plan preferences. By virtue of it being an existing provider, it is anticipated that Florida Convalescent will lower its administrative costs with the addition of 60 beds since there is recognized an economy of scale at that level. There is no demonstrated problem related to availability, accessibility, extent of utilization, or adequacy of nursing care services in this case. It is likely that resources, including health care manpower, will be available for project accomplishment and operation. Both applicants have demonstrated the immediate and long-term financial feasibility of the proposals. It is anticipated that the addition of 60 beds to the Florida Convalescent facility will have the least impact on the costs of providing health services and will promote cost-effectiveness. It is anticipated that the Florida Convalescent's proposal will best provide services to Medicaid patients and the medically indigent. The Florida Convalescent expansion is the most efficient and more appropriate alternative for providing nursing home services. The Florida Convalescent expansion will minimize the numbers of patients who were not admitted because of lack of beds at the Palm Garden facility. The Florida Convalescent expansion is consistent with other agencies and is in compliance with the local plans for providing long term care. The application submitted by Florida Convalescent was complete and its consolidated financial statement was consistent with the Department's rules and policies. The consolidated financial statement submitted by Florida Convalescent was prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and is sufficient for all purposes for which such statements are required by the Department. Florida Convalescent has demonstrated it has the financial resources to accomplish the project expansion and that the methods of construction, including equipment costs, are reasonable. On balance, when comparatively reviewed, the application submitted by Florida Convalescent is superior to the proposal submitted by Coordinated Care. As to Case No. 90-7565 Marriott filed an application for a certificate of need, designated by the Department CON # 6290, to construct a 39 bed nursing unit to be built in conjunction with an 133 bed adult congregate living facility (ACLF) in Orange County, Florida. The Marriott proposal in this case is based upon a design it has utilized before and is commonly known as a "Brighton Gardens" project. In accordance with Department statutes and rules, a certificate of need (CON) is necessary in order for Marriott to pursue the nursing component of its project. A CON is not required for the ACLF component. The Marriott project will be financed by its parent company. That Marriott entity has $400 million in cash or cash equivalents, generates $600 million annually in cash flow, and can easily afford the project addressed by this application. The Marriott proposal substantially meets the preferences and recommendations of the State and Local Health Plans. The Marriott proposal specifies 30 percent of its patient days will be available for Medicaid patients. Marriott is able to provide a high quality of care. The Marriott proposal will establish links with the nursing school community so that recruitments and staffing may be enhanced. Additionally, Marriott will offer continuing education for staff with reasonable salary and benefit opportunities. The costs of construction for the Marriott proposal are reasonable, allocated appropriately between the nursing facility and the ACLF, and meet or exceed all applicable code requirements. Both as to the manner of allocation and costs of allocation, Marriott has disclosed sufficient detail to adequately assess the nursing component of its proposed development. Marriott's proposed project both in the immediate and long-term is financially feasible. The granting of Marriott's proposal will not adversely affect Health Quest's ability to recruit personnel. The granting of Marriott's proposal will not adversely affect Health Quest's rate of occupancy. If Health Quest's occupancy should decrease following the approval of Marriott's request, such result is not attributable to the approval since Health Quest currently has a lower than district average for occupancy and since Health Quest currently charges more than the average amount charged by other nursing facilities. The number of beds requested by Marriott represents approximately 1 percent of the total number of beds currently approved in Orange County. Marriott's application substantially complies with all review criteria set forth in Chapter 381, Florida Statutes.
Recommendation Based on the foregoing, it is recommended that the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services enter a final order approving the applications filed by Marriott and Florida Convalescent, denying the application of Coordinated Care, and dismissing the petition filed by Health Quest. RECOMMENDED this 31st day of October, 1991, in Tallahassee, Leon County, Florida. JOYOUS D. PARRISH Hearing Officer Division of Administrative Hearings The DeSoto Building 1230 Apalachee Parkway Tallahassee, Florida 32301 (904)488-9675 Filed with the Clerk of the Division of Administrative Hearings this 31st day of October, 1991. APPENDIX TO RECOMMENDED ORDER, CASE NOS. 90-7563 and 90-7565 RULINGS ON THE PROPOSED FINDINGS OF FACT SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT: Paragraphs 1 through 5 are accepted. The first sentence of paragraph 6 is accepted; the remainder of the paragraph is not a statement of fact. Paragraphs 7 through 13 are accepted. With the deletion of the word "well" in the last sentence, paragraph 14 is accepted. Paragraph 15 is accepted. RULINGS ON THE PROPOSED FINDINGS OF FACT SUBMITTED BY MARRIOTT: Paragraphs 1 through 3 are accepted. With the clarification that at most 120 beds are in dispute, paragraph 4 is accepted. With regard to paragraph 5 it is accepted that Marriott's application is consistent with the state and local health plans; otherwise rejected as irrelevant. Paragraphs 6 through 8 are accepted. With regard to paragraph 9, it is rejected as argument or response to a position argued by Health Quest. The weight of the credible evidence showed that Marriott appropriately disclosed its projects and that it will be able to finance the project which is at issue. Paragraphs 10 through 19 are accepted. With the exception of the last sentence which is accepted; paragraph 20 is rejected as irrelevant. Paragraphs 21 through 23 are accepted. The first sentence of paragraph 24 is accepted, the remainder rejected as irrelevant. The first two sentences of paragraph 25 are accepted; the remainder rejected as irrelevant or argument. With the deletion of the words "by far" which are rejected as argument, paragraph 26 is accepted. With the deletion of the words "serious" and "numerous" which are rejected as contrary to the weight of the evidence, paragraph 27 is accepted. Paragraph 28 is rejected as contrary to the weight of the evidence. Paragraphs 29 and 30 are accepted. Paragraphs 31 through 33 are rejected as argument, contrary to the weight of the evidence, or irrelevant. It is not found, however, that Health Quest will suffer adversely from the approval of Marriott's application, to the contrary it will not. Paragraph 34 is accepted. Paragraphs 35 and 36 are rejected as argument. RULINGS ON THE PROPOSED FINDINGS OF FACT SUBMITTED BY HEALTH QUEST: Paragraphs 1 through 3 are accepted. Paragraph 4 (a) is accepted. Paragraphs 4 (b), 4 (c), and 4 (d) are rejected as contrary to the weight of the evidence. Paragraphs 5 and 6 are accepted. With regard to paragraph 7, it is rejected as irrelevant or argument; in this case Marriott has allocated and identified appropriately to establish the support areas needed for the nursing component of its proposal. Those areas have been computed in the cost and fairly and reasonably been considered in the financial feasibility of the project. To the extent addressed in the findings of fact or as accepted elsewhere in this appendix, paragraphs 8 through 36 are accepted, otherwise rejected as contrary to the weight of the evidence or irrelevant. It is specifically found that Marriott appropriately and accurately disclosed and allocated costs of the nursing facility and that those costs fairly depict the expenses reasonably expected to be incurred by this project. As to the suggestion by Health Quest that Marriott's proposal could not survive as a stand alone facility, such suggestion is rejected as irrelevant given the total circumstances and financial disclosures made in this case. Paragraph 37 is accepted. Paragraph 38 is rejected as contrary to the weight of the evidence, hearsay, or not supported by the evidence in this case. Paragraphs 39 through 147 are rejected as recitation of testimony, irrelevant, argument, contrary to the weight of credible evidence or not supported by the evidence in this case. Paragraph 148 is accepted. Paragraph 149 is rejected as contrary to the weight of the evidence or irrelevant. Paragraphs 150 through 169 are rejected as irrelevant, contrary to the weight of the evidence, or not supported by the evidence. Paragraphs 170 through 179 are accepted. Paragraph 180 is rejected as irrelevant. Paragraphs 181 through 185 are rejected as irrelevant, argument, or contrary to the weight of the evidence. Paragraph 186 is accepted. Paragraph 187 is rejected as irrelevant. Paragraph 188 is accepted. Paragraphs 189 through 199 are rejected as contrary to the weight of the evidence, irrelevant, or argument. It is found that the allocations of space and costs in this case accurately describe the project and would allow for the financial feasibility of the nursing component. RULINGS ON THE PROPOSED FINDINGS OF FACT SUBMITTED BY COORDINATED CARE: Paragraphs 1 through 3 are accepted. With regard to paragraph 4 it is accepted that the mathematical calculations are correct but such are not depositive of this case. Paragraph 5 is accepted. With the deletion of the phrase "Contrasted to the management style of FCC, which does not manage any of its facilities," which is rejected as argument or irrelevant, paragraph 6 is accepted. Paragraphs 7 through 21 are accepted. Paragraph 22 is rejected as contrary to the weight of the evidence. Paragraph 23 is rejected as irrelevant. Paragraph 24 is rejected as irrelevant. The first two sentences of paragraph 25 are accepted; the remainder is rejected as contrary to the weight of the evidence presented, irrelevant, or unsupported by the record. Paragraphs 26 through 31 are accepted. Paragraph 32 is rejected as repetitive. Paragraph 33 is rejected as repetitive. Paragraphs 34 through 36 are accepted. Paragraph 37 is rejected as repetitive. Paragraphs 38 through 44 are rejected as contrary to the weight of the evidence, irrelevant, or, where accurate as to fact, considered to be not dispositive of the issues of this case. Paragraph 45 is accepted. Paragraph 46 is accepted (assuming numbers have been rounded off). Paragraph 47 is rejected as contrary to the weight of the evidence. Paragraphs 48 and 49 are accepted. Paragraphs 50 through 64 are rejected as irrelevant, contrary to the weight of the evidence presented or argument. Paragraphs 65 and 66 are accepted. Paragraphs 67 through 72 are rejected as argument, irrelevant, or contrary to the weight of the evidence. RULINGS ON THE PROPOSED FINDINGS OF FACT SUBMITTED BY FLORIDA CONVALESCENT CENTERS: Paragraphs 1 through 19 are accepted. Paragraph 20 is rejected as argument. Paragraphs 21 through 24 are accepted. Paragraph 25 and 26 are rejected to the extent that they suggest the Palm Garden facility enjoys a higher quality of care than the Lane family facilities. Both applicants provide a high quality of care and must be ranked equally in this regard. It is expected that the expansion of Palm Garden will assure that facility's continued high care and only to that extent has Palm Garden been considered the better applicant in this batch. Paragraph 27 is accepted to the extent it details the history of Florida Convalescent, otherwise rejected as irrelevant or contrary to the weight of the evidence. Paragraphs 28 and 29 are rejected as irrelevant. Paragraph 30 is accepted to the extent that it suggests both Florida Convalescent and Coordinated Care have established good recruitment and training programs, etc. To the extent that Florida Convalescent is already established in the Orlando community it is advantaged; but, it is expected that Coordinated Care will be able to duplicate its efforts and successes (as in Volusia) in the Orange County venue. It is because it has an established program that Florida Convalescent gets the nod in this category. Paragraphs 31 through 38 are accepted. Paragraph 39 is accepted to the extent that it states both applicants have superior programs and quality of care; otherwise, rejected as contrary to the weight of the evidence. With regard to paragraphs 40 through 42 it is found that both applicants meet the preferences addressed in the state health plan and that neither ranks higher in the categories listed in these paragraphs. Paragraphs 43 through 45 are accepted. Paragraph 46 is rejected as contrary to the weight of the evidence. Paragraphs 47 (all subparts) through 52 are accepted. The first sentence of paragraph 53 is accepted; the remainder is rejected as contrary to the weight of the evidence or irrelevant. Paragraphs 54 through 74 are accepted. Paragraphs 75 through 91 are rejected as contrary to the weight of the evidence or irrelevant. Paragraphs 92 through 109 are accepted. COPIES FURNISHED: James M. Barclay Theodore E. Mack Cobb Cole & Bell 315 South Calhoun Street Suite 500 Tallahassee, Florida 32301 Elizabeth McArthur Aurell, Radey, Hinkle & Thomas 101 N. Monroe Street Suite 1000 Post Office Drawer 11307 Tallahassee, Florida 32302 Charles M. Loeser 315 West Jefferson Boulevard South Bend, Indiana 46601 Darrell White Gerald B. Sternstein McFARLAIN, STERNSTEIN, WILEY & CASSEDY, P.A. Post Office Box 2174 Tallahassee, Florida 32316-2174 Donna Stinson Thomas M. Beason Moyle, Flanigan, Katz, Fitzgerald & Sheehan, P.A. 118 North Gadsden Street Suite 100 Tallahassee, Florida 32301 Richard Patterson Assistant General Counsel Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services Fort Knox Executive Center 2727 Mahan Drive Tallahassee, Florida 32308 Sam Power, Agency Clerk Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services 1323 Winewood Boulevard Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0700 John Slye, General Counsel Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services 1323 Winewood Boulevard Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0700
Findings Of Fact FMCC's application is to provide a 102-bed long-term care nursing facility in Fort Myers, Florida, while AHC's and HSI's applications are to provide 120-bed long-term nursing care facilities. When each of these applications was presented to the south Central Florida Health Systems Council, Inc. (HSA), the application of FMCC was approved and forwarded to Respondent recommending approval and the other two applications were disapproved and so forwarded. The primary reason given by HSA for disapproving HSI's application was lack of firm financing and for disapproving AHC's application was cost of construction. Trained personnel to man the proposed facilities are in short supply in Lee County. Applicants' plans to import personnel, if necessary, from other parts of the country were supported by no evidence to indicate such personnel would be amenable to move to Lee County. All applications were disapproved by Respondent and each applicant requested a hearing which resulted in this consolidated hearing. At present there are 741 existing or approved long-term care nursing home beds in Lee County, Florida. A 120-bed facility at Cape Coral became operative in February, 1979 and a 60-bed addition to Beacon-Donegan Manor nursing home has also been approved. Prior to the opening of the newest 120-bed facility at Cape Coral, the occupancy rate for the other long-term care nursing homes was greater than 90 percent. Due to its recent opening, no evidence was presented as to the occupancy rate in Lee County following the opening of the Cape Coral facility. The population of Lee County in 1978 was 184,841 with 41,984 more than 65 years old, which is less than 23 percent of the population. This is in line with the population forecasts by the University of Florida and validates the estimated 1980 population figures which were used by all parties in submitting their applications. In 1978 Respondent proposed a State Health Plan which included a determination that the long-term care nursing home bed needs were 27 per 1,000 population greater than 65 years old. This determination was unacceptable to the Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) whose decision is binding on Respondent. In refusing to accept this standard, HEW reaffirmed the requirement that the formula contained in the Hill-Burton Act be utilized in determining certificates of need. Following the Hill-Burton formula results in no additional long-term care nursing home beds needed in Lee County. Modification of the results produced by use of the Hill-Burton formula when extenuating and mitigating circumstances exist is authorized by the Florida Medical Facilities Plan. Accordingly, when use of Hill-Burton formula produces results contrary to obvious facts, such as a showing of no need for additional facilities when occupancy rates are high and long waiting lists for admission exists, these extenuating circumstances are considered and a finding of need is made. The parties stipulated that extenuating circumstances, notably the greater than 90 percent occupancy rate in nursing homes in 1977 and most of 1978 and the existing waiting lists created need for 100 to 120 additional beds. No evidence was presented establishing a need for more than 100-120 additional long-term care nursing home beds in Lee County. In fact, no evidence was presented showing the current occupancy rate, current waiting lists, or any other information not previously submitted to the Health Systems Agency was here presented other than the latest Census Report, which merely confirmed the accuracy of the forecasts. Even if the 27 beds per 1,000 population greater than 65 which was proposed by the South Central Florida Health Systems Agency were used to establish the number of beds needed, their limitation, that no more than 50 percent be added in the two-year planning period, would preclude approving more than one additional nursing home at this time. Absent evidence showing a need for more than one additional nursing home, the only issue remaining is which of the applicants is best qualified to provide the best service at the lowest cost for the stipulated need. HSI submitted proposed construction costs and patient charges in line with those submitted by FMCC. However, although their application states, and the Health Systems Agency apparently accepted, their allegation that an option to lease had been obtained on the property on which the proposed facility was to be erected, testimony at the hearing disclosed that only an oral agreement to lease the property had been obtained by HSI. An oral agreement affecting a long-term lease of real property comes within the Statute of Frauds and is unenforceable. This fact alone renders all cost estimates submitted by HSI suspect. Further, the financing proposed by HSI to construct the facility shows less than $200,000 equity capital available and a requirement to borrow $1,300,000. One ground noted by the Health Systems Agency for disapproving this application was the inadequacy of their financing. No evidence presented at this hearing contradicted this Health System Agency's finding. AHC operates some 50 nursing homes in 14 states with two nursing homes in the Orlando area. A certificate of need has been obtained for a third nursing home in Jacksonville. Florida Living Care, Inc., the parent corporation of FMCC, manages some 44 nursing homes and owns 25. It has certificates of need for 6 nursing homes in Florida, one of which is completed and in operation, while 3 are under construction. AHC proposes to finance 87 percent of the cost of the 120-bed project, or $2,160,000, in a 40-year loan at 8.5 percent interest. FMCC proposes to finance 80 percent of the cost of a 102-bed project, or $1,000,000, in a 25-year loan at 9.5 percent interest. Although no testimony regarding the current status of mortgage money was presented, it is recognized that interest rates are at historically high levels and that FMCC is more likely to get financing on the terms it proposed than is AHC on the terms the latter proposed. HSI proposed costs and charges result in average costs of $30.16 per patient per day. FMCC proposed costs and charges result in average costs of $30.96 per patient per day. AHC proposed costs and charges result in average costs of $34.40 per patient per day. No significant difference exists in the services proposed by each of the applicants. Savings from combined purchasing can result when numerous facilities are operated. Both AHC and FMCC are in a better position in this regard than is HSI. Additional savings in group food purchasing can result when facilities are within 200 miles of each other. The facilities FMCC's parent corporation is opening in Sebring and Port Charlotte are close enough to Fort Myers to allow group food purchasing for these facilities. AHC's construction costs are approximately 50 percent higher per bed than are the costs submitted by FMCC and HSI. This factor must result in higher charges to amortize these higher construction costs.
The Issue Whether petitioner should be granted a certificate of need to build a 120- bed nursing and extended care facility in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Recommendation Based on the foregoing, it is RECOMMENDED: That the application be denied for failure to meet licensing criteria contained in Rule 10-5.11(21), Florida Administrative Code. DONE and ENTERED this 8th day of December, 1983, in Tallahassee, Florida. R. L. CALEEN, JR. 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 8th day of December, 1983.
Findings Of Fact Health Quest filed an application for a Certificate of Need (CON) to construct a 120-bed nursing home facility in Lee County, Florida. The application was dated June 24, 1983, was filed on June 27, 1983, and projected the project cost to be $5,557,000. The application was denied by DHRS by letter dated December 19, 1983. Based on the stipulation of the parties, the application met all of the criteria of Section 381.494(6)(c), Florida Statutes, and Rule 10-5.11, Florida Administrative Code, except for Rule 10-5.11(21), hereinafter referred to as "the bed need methodology." The relevant service area for determination of need is the Lee County subdistrict of DHRS District B. The district poverty ratio is .68; the bed need ratio is 18.3 beds per 1000 for District B. For District 8, the projected 1987 elderly population is 213,561, and for Lee County it is 69,649. By applying the bed need ratio to the projected elderly population, a raw numeric need is established of 3,910 beds for District 8 and 1,275 beds for Lee County. In District 8 there are 3,671 beds licensed and 1,053 beds approved, for a total bed inventory of 4,724 beds. This exceeds the numeric need of 3,910 and results in no need showing. In Lee County there are 808 beds licensed and 332 beds approved, for a total bed inventory of 1,140 beds. This is less than the numeric need of 1,275 and results in a need showing for Lee County. Where there is no need in the District and need in the subdistrict, subsection 10-5.11(21)(e)(1) becomes operative and the situation is denoted as "c2". For category c2, the current utilization threshold is 90 percent occupancy in the subdistrict. Lee County, with a current utilization of 95.5 percent meets this threshold. By applying the occupancy rate of 95.5 percent to the 808 licensed beds, it is determined that the patient census for Lee County is 772. For a c2 subdistrict the prospective base rate of utilization is 80 percent. The limit for projected need for the subdistrict is the maximum number of beds for which the census would produce an occupancy rate of 80 percent. Here, patient census of 772 divided by 80 percent produces a limit of 965. The inventory of 1,140 beds in the subdistrict is greater than the limit for projected need. Approval of additional beds would be inconsistent with these calculations of need under Rule 10-5.11(21). Lee County has a low supply of nursing home beds in comparison with the remainder of District 8. District 8 has a low supply of nursing home beds in comparison with the remainder of the State of Florida. The beds currently in operation in Lee County are being fully utilized. Nursing home facilities do not operate at 100 percent capacity. For all practical purposes, a 95.5 percent occupancy rate indicates full utilization. There are currently four approved nursing home facilities in Lee County. DHRS has received no correspondence from residents of Lee County or other interested persons indicating the presence of waiting lists at existing nursing home or claiming the unavailability of accessible nursing home facilities in the service area.
Recommendation Pursuant to notice, the Division of Administrative Hearings, by its duly designated Hearing Officer, DIANE K. KIESLING, held a formal hearing in this case on September 11, 1984, in Tallahassee, Florida.
Findings Of Fact Petitioners' application for a certificate of need to construct a 60- bed skilled nursing home was recommended for approval by the Health Planning Council, the health systems agency (HSA) for the five counties of Martin, Palm Beach, Volusia, Okeechobee and St. Lucie, but was denied by the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services (HRS), Office of Community Medical Facilities. The latter agency has the ultimate responsibility for granting certificates of need. In recommending the granting of a certificate of need, HSA considered available beds in existing facilities in lieu of licensed beds, found 89.6 percent occupancy of available beds equal to or greater than 90 percent occupancy of licensed beds prescribed by the State Plan for Hospitals and Related Medical Facilities (Exhibit 2), used its own population forecasts rather than State population forecasts, and failed to consider certificates of need approval recently granted to five nursing homes in Palm Beach County, some of which were already under construction. HSA, at the time of this application had Palm Beach County divided into four regions (which has now been expanded to five) and the proposed facility is located in region three. At the time of the application there were three existing nursing homes in region three and two additional facilities had been granted certificates of need in this region. HSA normally uses licensed beds to determine the percentage of occupancy, but for reasons not explained at this hearing, HSA used available beds to determine the percentage of occupancy. Using available beds HSA found the three nursing homes in region three of Palm Beach County to have an 89.6 percent rate of occupancy. Had licensed beds been used, the percentage of occupancy would have been 83. The Office of Community Medical Facilities, in determining the need for additional medical facilities, has divided the State into 60 health care service areas and Palm Beach County is one of those areas. No evidence was submitted to indicate that the service areas so established are not reasonable. At the time of Petitioners' application, there were 1981 licensed nursing home beds in Palm Beach County; and applications had been approved, or recommended for approval and subsequently approved, for an additional 460 beds in Palm Beach County. The projected need in the State Plan for 1977 (Exhibit 2) for nursing home beds for Palm Beach County by 1982 is 2038. Accordingly, at the time of this hearing, nursing homes in Palm Beach County had received approval for 2441 beds which is 403 more nursing home beds than the forecast need for the year 1982. In determining the need for medical and health provider facilities, the usage rate of existing facilities is first determined from actual usage of the facilities. The Projected Average Daily Census is then determined by multiplying the use rate by the forecast population and dividing by 365 days per year. From this figure the bed need is determined by dividing the Projected Average Daily Census by .85 and adding 10. In this manner, HRS determined in the 1977 State Plan for Construction of Hospitals and Related Medical Facilities that Palm Beach County would have a need for 2038 nursing home beds in 1982. At the time Petitioners' application was recommended for approval by HSA, additional certificates of need had been granted for an additional 160 nursing home beds in region three of Palm Beach County. These facilities are designated as Life Care Centers because they are attached to condominiums from which their primary source of patients is expected to come. However, these facilities are essentially nursing homes and provide the same services as nursing homes. Had these authorized additional beds been included in computing the percentage of occupancy of nursing homes in region three the rate would have been approximately 60 percent, assuming no population change when these facilities become operational.
Findings Of Fact The Petitioner originally applied for a certificate of need to construct and operate a 180 bed community nursing home in Broward County, Florida. By stipulation, the Petitioner's application was amended to be an application for a certificate of need for 120 nursing home beds at a cost of $4,600,000. Stipulation filed August 9, 1985. The only issue in this case is whether there is a need for 120 nursing home beds in Broward County. T. 25. The parties agree that need is to be determined in this case by application of rule 10-5.11(21), Florida Administrative Code. Prehearing Stipulation, pp. 2-3. In the case at bar, the relevant district is District X, which is Broward County and is not subdivided into subdistricts. T. 147. Rule 10-5.11(21)(b)1-4, which is applicable to this case, requires use of the following data and abbreviations: The number of licensed beds ("LB"). The current district population age 65-74 (POPC"). The current district population age 75+ ("POPD"). The district population age 65-74 projected three years ahead ("POPA"). The district population age 75+ projected three years ahead ("POPB"). The average occupancy rate for licensed nursing home beds in the district ("OR"). The number of nursing home beds in the district which have received CON approval but are not yet licensed ("approved beds"). HRS gathers data-from local health councils as to the number of patients in a given nursing home on the first day of each month, and this data, collected in six month segments, is compiled into a semiannual occupancy report. T. 145-46. Joint Exhibit 17 is the semiannual census report and bed need allocation published June 3, 1985, and contains data collected on the first days of the months of October-December 1984 and January-March, l98. T. 147; Joint Exhibit 17. The population figures to be used in this case are from the office of the Governor, and neither party disputes the accuracy of these figures. Relying upon the data in Joint Exhibit 17, HRS concluded that there is only a net need for 11 community nursing home beds in District X on the date of the hearing. Joint Exhibit 17, Joint Exhibit 15, T. 150. This was correctly calculated in Petitioner's proposed finding of fact 20: Underlying data: LB = 2,875 POPC = 157,371 POPD = 104,860 POPA = 168,793 POPB = 124,570 OR = 87.59 percent Approved beds = 415 Calculations: Bed rates: BA = LB POPC + (6 x POPD) = 2,875 157,371 + (6 x 104,860) = 2,765 786,531 = 3.65/1,000 BB = 6 x BA = 6 x 3.65/1,000 = 21.93/1,000 Age-adjusted bed total: A = (POPA x BA) + (POPB x BB) = (168,793 x 3.65) + (124,570 x 21.93) 1,000 ( 1,000) = (168.793 x 3.65) + (124,570 x 21.93) = 617 + 2,732 = 3,349 Occupancy-adjusted total: SA = A x OR 90 = 3,349 x 87.59 90 = 3,259 Deduction for licensed & approved beds: Net beds = SA - LB - .9 (approved beds) = 3,259 - 2,875 - .9 (415) = 384 - 373 Net beds = 11 Beverly Manor was licensed as a community nursing home for 120 beds on May 13, 1985. T. 140-41, 151; Petitioner's Exhibit 16. The Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services has a policy to use May 1, 1985, as the cutoff date for Counting licensed nursing home beds for the June 1985 semiannual report, and based on that policy, did not consider the licensed beds at Beverly Manor in calculating bed need in Joint Exhibit 17 and 15. T. 149, 151-52. The Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services uses a variety of other cutoff dates in compiling the semiannual report. Poverty data is from 1980. Approved bed count is from May 1, 1985. Population data is from January 1985. T. 148-50. The reason offered by HRS for using May 1, 1985, for a cutoff date for counting licensed nursing home beds was to give HRS employees enough time to put all the data together t issue the semiannual report on the due date, June 1985. T. 159-60. Daystar, Inc., is reported to be a 44 bed nursing home in District X on Joint Exhibit 17. The Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services includes in the semiannual report all nursing homes that are licensed by the HRS office of licensure and certification. T. 152. HRS included Daystar, Inc., on the semiannual report. Id. Daystar, Inc., operates a 44 bed facility far Christian Scientists that does not offer medical treatment or medication of any kind, but relies solely upon spiritual healing. T. 36-37. On September 29, 1981, certificate of need number 1746 was issued to Colonial Palms Nursing Home East. Petitioner's Exhibit 18. The termination date was extended to March 27, 1983. Id. Three days before the termination date, HRS issued an amended certificate of need number 1746, to Colonial Palms, Inc. to construct the 120 beds in two phases. Phase I was the addition of 46 beds to an existing facility, which HRS did not name, and phase II was to construct a new 74 bed nursing home facility. Petitioner's Exhibit 19. On April 5, 1983, a Robert T. Held wrote to HRS on "Colonial Palms Nursing Home" letterhead stating that construction regarding certificate of need 1746 had commenced. On June 3, 1985, a William R. Meyer spoke with a Ruth Dixon, Control Clerk, Broward County Permit Bureau, and Ms. Dixon advised Mr. Meyer that no building permit had been issued to Colonial Palms West at 51 West Sample Road, Pompano Beach, Florida 33064 or to Bodee Construction Company for 74 beds. Ms. Dixon further advised Mr. Meyer that "Colonial Palms" has not been issued a building permit since 1983, and that she checked both addresses of Colonial Palms and under the construction company in her investigation. HRS takes the position that the Colonial Palms Certificate of need for 74 new beds is still valid since it is still on its approved list and has not been taken off as void. T. 156-57. The foregoing evidence is not sufficient to conclude that certificate of need lumber 1746 is void in whole or in part due to failure to commence construction. The evidence is ambiguous as to which entity holds the certificate of need or which entity was checked for construction permits, and there is no evidence as to whether construction could have been initiated without a construction permit on file in Broward County. Moreover, the Broward County evidence is hearsay, and although there has been no objection to it, the Hearing Officer independently does not regard it to be sufficient, pursuant to section 120.58(1)(a), Fla. Stat., to be relied upon. Finally, it is entirely unclear what type of construction, undertaken by what entity, would be required for this certificate of need to satisfy the "commence construction" requirement. Colonial Palms was not licensed for an additional 46 beds until January 18, 1985, and thus it had only 81 licensed beds on the first of January, 1985; thus, the occupancy report for Colonial Palms for January, 1985, should have been 83 patients in 81 licensed beds. T. 154; Petitioner's Exhibit 13. The "occupancy rate" contained in the semiannual reports, Joint Exhibit 17 and Petitioner's Exhibit 9, is calculated by dividing the total of the patient census in all nursing homes on the first of each month for the six month reporting period by the total of all licensed nursing home beds for those same facilities during the same months. T. 161. Petitioner's Exhibit 10 is an example of how HRS makes this calculation. Id. As a result of adding the 120 licensed beds at Beverly Manor, the "licensed beds" (LB) figure in the formula increases to 2,995, and "approved beds" changes from 415 to 295. The correction to the January 1985 licensed beds at Colonial Palms (corrected to 81 licensed beds), results in a change to the "occupancy rate" from 87.59 percent as reported in Joint Exhibit 17, to 88.06 percent. This calculation is derived from Petitioner's Exhibits 12, 13, and 14. The patient census for October 1984 through March 1985 was 13,051. The licensed beds total for the same months, however, would be 14,820, which is the result of subtracting 46 beds from Colonial Palms for January 1985. The result, 13,051 divided by 14,820, is 88.06 percent. In the past, HRS has granted partial approval of a lesser number of beds than sought by the applicant for a certificate of need. T. 142. The computations contained in conclusion of law paragraph 10 are found to be the correct computation of need pursuant to the rule, and are hereby incorporated by reference as a finding of fact.
Recommendation It is therefore recommended, subject to paragraph 12 above, that the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services issue to the Petitioner, Health Quest Corporation d/b/a Regents Park of Broward, a certificate of need to construct and operate 120 community nursing home beds in District X. DONE and ORDERED this 6th day of November 1985, in Tallahassee, Florida. WILLIAM C. SHERRILL, JR. 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 6th day of November, 1985. APPENDIX TO RECOMMENDED ORDER IN CASE NO. 84-3297 The following proposed findings of fact by Petitioner are adopted herein, if these proposed findings have not already been adopted in the findings of fact: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 17, 19, 20 and 21. The following proposed findings were concerned with the December 1984 semiannual report, and thus are not relevant since better and more current data, the June 1985 semiannual report, exists: 9, 10, 11, 15, and 16. See conclusions of law 2-6. The following proposed findings are rejected to the extent that they concern exclusion of Daystar, Inc., data, or to the extent that they are based upon exclusion of Colonial Palms data due to the theory that the Colonial Palms certificate of need is void due to failure to commence construction: 18, 22, and 23. The rejection of these factual matters has been explained in findings of fact 14-16 and conclusions of law 7-9. Proposed finding 24 is rejected as irrelevant, since a net bed need is shown by the rule formula. See rule 10- 5.11(21)(b)10. Moreover, even if the net bed need, which is called the "net bed allocation" by the rule, were zero, the facts proposed in finding of fact 24 are not of the type permitted under this exception of the rule. COPIES FURNISHED: Paul V. DeBianchi, P.A. 2601 East Oakland Park Blvd. Suite #500 Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33306 Charles M. Loeser, Esquire Assistant General Counsel Health Quest Corporation 315 W. Jefferson Blvd. South Bend, Indiana 46601-1586 Harden King, Esquire Assistant General Counsel Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services 1323 Winewood Boulevard Tallahassee, Florida 32301 =================================================================
Findings Of Fact On or about January 7, 1981, HCM was issued CON No. 1616, authorizing construction of a 78-bed nursing home facility to be located in Lee County, Florida. HCM has commenced construction of this project on a 120-bed frame. Subsequently, HCM applied to HRS for a CON for an additional 42 nursing home beds to be added to the above-described project. By letter dated April 28, 1983, HRS informed HCM of its intent to deny HCM's application for the additional 42 nursing home beds on the grounds that the proposed project was not consistent with the nursing home bed need methodology contained in Rule 10-5.11(21), Florida Administrative Code. Lee County has been established as a specific subdistrict of HRS District VIII for determination of nursing home bed need. Rule 10-5.11(21)(c), Florida Administrative Code. The record in this cause establishes a percentage of 8.61 of elderly living in poverty in Lee County, as compared to a percentage of 12.70 statewide. There exists a statewide bed need of 27 community nursing home beds per 1,000 population age 65 years and older. Finally, a population of 65,703 is projected for Lee County in 1986. When these factors are combined in accordance with the need methodology formula contained in Rule 10-5.11(21)(b), a need of 1,203 community nursing home beds is established for Lee County in 1986. When this same calculation is made districtwide, using a projected 1986 population for District VIII of 201,392 age 65 and older, a need for 3,686 community nursing home beds results. At the time of final hearing in this cause, there were 748 existing licensed community nursing home beds in Lee County, and an additional 222 such beds which had previously been approved by HRS. When the total of 970 existing and approved beds are subtracted from the 1986 projected bed need in Lee County, a net bed need of 233 beds results for 1986. At the time of final hearing in this cause, there were 3,335 existing licensed community nursing home beds in District VIII, and an additional 1,337 which had been approved. The total of 4,512 existing and approved community nursing home beds in District VIII exceeds the need in District VIII according to the requirements of Rule 10-5.11(21) by 824 beds. Where, as here, the evidence establishes that a subdistrict indicates a need for additional bed capacity, but the district as a whole shows no additional need, Rule 10- 5.11(21)(f)2, Florida Administrative Code, establishes a current utilization threshold of 90 percent or higher in the subdistrict. In this case, the evidence establishes that the appropriate current utilization rate for Lee County is 91.5 percent. In addition, Rule 10-5.11(21)(h)2, Florida Administrative Code, requires a prospective base rate of utilization of 80 percent when the need methodology indicates a subdistrict need and the lack of need in the district as a whole. The evidence in this cause establishes an average Lee County patient census of 684, and 970 currently licensed and approved community nursing home beds which must be factored together with HCM's request for an additional 42 beds. When the formula contained in Rule 10-5.11(21)(g) is applied to this data, the prospective utilization rate is 67.6 percent, which fails to meet the threshold 80 percent requirement contained in Rule 10-5.11(21)(h)2. HCM apparently does not contest the results of the application of the bed need methodology contained in Rule 10-5.11(21), but instead argues that the results of the formulae should not be applied to its application because of the existence of exceptional circumstances in Lee County. In this regard, HCM adduced testimony attempting to establish an historical imbalance between the number of community nursing home beds located in Lee and Sarasota Counties, purportedly necessitating the placement of Lee County residents receiving Medicaid or assistance from the Veterans Administration 70 to 100 miles from their families, or continuing hospitalization of those patients in a more costly acute care facility. It is specifically concluded, that the record in this cause fails to contain any competent, credible evidence to establish that Medicaid and VA recipients in Lee County have been so historically underserved as to merit the granting of the 42 additional nursing home beds requested by HCM. Further, even if this were not the case, HCM has failed to establish that the 222 additional community nursing home beds approved for Lee County will not adequately serve the interests of Medicaid and VA recipients in Lee County in 1986. Rule 10-5.11(21) purports on its face to account for the needs of the elderly over 65 years of age living in poverty, and this record contains no showing that the rule in any way underestimates that need.
