The Washington State Department of Health delayed making a decision on Walla Walla, Wash.-based Providence St. Mary's ASC proposal for the fourth consecutive month, the Union-Bulletin reports.
What you should know:
1. Providence St. Mary is seeking certificate of need approval to turn a portion of the former Walla Walla General Hospital into a four-room ASC.
2. The ASC would have two operating rooms and two procedure rooms.
3. The state issued a CON for a seperate Walla Walla ASC earlier this year.
4. The state was supposed to rule on Providence St. Mary's proposal in October 2018. The state first delayed the approval in December 2018 because of missing information from the hospital. The state then delayed the decision every month since February because the state is running behind schedule.