St. Vincent’s wins approval for Clay hospital

CLAY COUNTY, FL - St. Vincent’s Medical Center’s proposed 98-bed hospital along Branan Field-Chaffee Road has won approval of the state Agency for Health Care Administration to become Clay County’s second hospital. The decision validates the recommendation that the St. Vincent’s plan be approved.

St. Vincent’s (SVMC) and two others, Orange Park Medical Center and Baptist Health Service, all submitted Certificate of Need (CON) applications to expand in Clay County.

"On balance, and while this is a close call, SVMC’s CON application best meets the applicable statutory and rule criteria for approval of a new acute care hospital in Clay County and is most likely to best serve the current and future health care needs of the residents of Clay County,"says the ruling by Administrative Law Judge Charles Stampelos.

The 98-bed St. Vincent’s facility would cost approximately $115 million and be expandable to 200 beds if necessary. Among its planned features are five operating rooms, a separate OB wing including a separate C-section suite, and imaging technology. The hospital would also be designed as a community shelter for natural disasters.

Three possible sites are under consideration, and the hospital has a letter of intent with a developer to buy one of the three.

"I am ecstatic," said Scott A. Whalen, president CEO for St. Vincent’s HealthCare, "that we have won the confidence and support of the state, and that they recognized our plans as superior in providing access to health care and quality service for the people of Clay County.

Baptist Health was the first to propose a new Clay County facility. St. Vincent’s, which already operates a outpatient clinic and heart center on Park Avenue in Orange Park, and OPMC followed with their proposals.

AHCA, which reviews applications for acute care hospitals, originally gave the nod to OPMC’s proposed 100-bed facility. However, the site of the proposed hospital was moved to another location when it was discovered the land was contaminated. The move opened the door for the other applications to proceed.

The decision can be appealed. OPMC spokesmen said the company would review its option and discuss on how to proceed.