North Carolina-based Novant Health received certificate-of-need approval to build its ambulatory surgery center in Kernersville, N.C., according to Winstom-Salem Journal.
Here are five insights:
1. Kernersville Outpatient Surgery submitted a CON to the North Carolina Division of Health Service Regulation division on March 15.
2. The surgery center costs nearly $9.8 million and hopes to be operational in April 2018. In the plan, Novant Health proposed moving two operating rooms from Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Forsyth Medical Center to Kernersville Outpatient Surgery.
3. Kernersville Outpatient Surgery faced opposition from three North Carolina competitors, including Greensboro-based Cone Health, Surgical Center of Greensboro and Greensboro Specialty Surgical Center as well as Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem. Those opposing the center cited duplication of services.
4. The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services required Novant Health to participate in a public hearing on May 12 because the center surpassed the $5 million threshold.
5. The three healthcare groups claimed:
• Novant's CON does not support the need for adding two operating rooms in Kernersville.
• The project fails to "materially improve" access to ASC services as most of the potential patients live in Guilford, N.C., as opposed to Forsyth (N.C.).
• Novant's application does not take into consideration the availability of other similar services in the market.
• Kernersville Outpatient Surgery represents an unnecessary duplication of services.
• The ASC will adversely impact existing ASC providers.
More articles on surgery centers:
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South Austin Surgery Center to undergo $1M+ expansion after being acquired by St. David's Healthcare: 3 key notes