Poinciana Hospital & Medical Center
Latest Status:
Plans Underway
Poinciana Residents for Smart Change
After nearly three years of fighting to make it happen, Poinciana is on the verge of receiving final approval for a hospital to be owned and managed by the Osceola Regional Medical Center.
Thanks go to a dedicated group of residents who made trips to Tallahassee, support by community groups and major political figures, television reports, and personal testimony from residents. The only thing remaining is for the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration to issue the Certficate of Need, which now appears a virtual certainty.
FRIENDS OF THE POINCIANA HOSPITAL
NEWS RELEASE FEBRUARY 8, 2010
Poinciana Hospital project continues, but slowly
On Monday, February 8, 2010 Brian Marger, Chief Operating Officer of Osceola Regional Medical Center (ORMC) met with residents of Poinciana at a CoffeeTalk in Solivita to give an update on the status and answer questions about the critically needed hospital for The Greater Poinciana Area.
Brian spoke before a crowd of 300+ persons and
remarked he was, "quite surprised and happy to see so many people attending."
He thanked the residences of Poinciana and especially Solivita as it could not have been done without Poinciana residents pushing for the Certificate Of Need (C.O.N.) through the state Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) and the court.
He started off by stating this was an "information update only" meeting.
Marger clarified that the capital funding for the new hospital was not controlled by Osceola Regional Medical Center but rather by its parent company Hospital Corporation of America
HCA's Board of Directors makes the decisions on funding large capital projects like the building of new hospitals.
The Final Order of Approval of the Certificate Of Need (C.O.N.) from AHCA was on March 5, 2009 . HCA had 18 months in which to act upon the C.O.N. or lose it. HCA would need to make significant progress, i.e. some activity, moving dirt, etc. However, due to the recession of 2009, AHCA extended all of the C.O.N.'s an additional 18 months which is a total of 36 months from March 2009 to show some activity. The Friends of the Poinciana Hospital later confirmed with AHCA "This CON will have a termination date of March 4, 2012 reflecting an 18 month validity period. The March 4, 2012 date is the date by which continuous construction must be begun".
Where Are We Today?
Ÿ The original site of the hospital was to be across from the Fire Station on Cypress Parkway, it was shifted to across from the Solivita entrance, next to Wachovia Bank. There were concerns that it was too far back and there were only two lanes of traffic beyond the Solivita Marketplace as well as the frontage is better for patient needs being located nearer to the Wachovia Bank entrance. 40 acre site, northeast corner.
Does HCA have the property under contract?
Ÿ Not as of this date, HCA and Avatar Realty are working diligently to get the property under contract. The legalese is what takes so long. He spoke highly of Avatar working with HCA to get this property under contract, that it is the legal aspects that take so long.
Ÿ The goal is to have it under contract between the first and second quarter of 2010.
What are the next steps after property is purchased?
Ÿ As soon as the property is purchased, there will be immediate activity
Ÿ A large medical office building will be the first building to start construction. The purpose of the medical office building is to start bringing in the physicians and providing outpatient services, for example imaging, lab and rehab services "One Stop Shopping" was the terminology he used. HCA will be talking with people who have built medical office buildings which will cut down on the planning stages.
Ÿ During the medical office building plans, the hospital plans will be initiated. HCA will make sure the hospital blends in with the local community and get the rendering to the residents of Poinciana as soon as possible.
The current economic climate has slowed down the process according to Brian, in fact to his knowledge HCA has not built a new, start-up hospital over the past 1-2 years.
He stated, the economy is getting better, and he noticed some new businesses in Poinciana as well as doctors and medical facilities, i.e., Cancer Care. In addition, he remarked that even though it seems that it is "more of the same" information, he assured everyone that HCA is committed to this project, that most of what is happening is behind the scenes.
The Floor was opened to the residents for Questions and Answers:
Q Can we get a person from HCA who can answer questions that Marger cannot answer. The residents wanted to know if we could get someone from HCA to come and talk with us. Someone who had more knowledge of the finances and more definitive answers?
A Marger and The Friends of the Poinciana Hospital will invite Dan Miller of Hospital Corporation of America`s corporate office. He testified in Tallahassee before the administrative judge.
Q You said no hospital was built in two years, Florida Hospital has built a hospital.?
A. I was referring to HCA, which I do not believe has not built a new hospital in two years.
Q What about the contract to purchase the land?
A It is ready to go and is between attorneys. Almost there but not finished
Q We need Day Surgery facility. Is that something that will be included?
A Will check into it, but it is quite expensive to build operating rooms and may be duplicative with hospital. But will check into it.
Q Do you have doctors committed contractually?
A There is strong interest from Primary Care doctors as well as specialists, I.e., cardiologists, but not under contract it is too soon.
Q Will there be Cardiac Care?
A Yes. The hospital will provide cardiac care including cardiac catherization services.
Q How long after the contract for the land is signed will medical office building start.?
A It will take approximately 6 months for the architect and construction approximately one year. There are no plans at this time, but have existing plans from other medical buildings built. So approximately 18 months after purchase of land.
Q How long will it take to build hospital?
A First the make plans, approval, and then construction. Plans and approval approximately six to 12 months and construction approximately 1-½ to 2 years.
Q Will hospital be built after medical building or at the same time?
A Uncertain at this time.
Q What is the scope of the services:
A Medical/Surgical
Cardiac catherization lab
Imaging Services
Operating Room - general surgery
Large Emergency Room
Full Service Hospital
In-Patient Dialysis
In addition, Day Surgery was requested
Q What about traffic? There needs to be another lane added on Cypress Parkway to accommodate ambulances and traffic, especially during rush hour. What about a helicopter pad.?
A That will be part of the planning and permitting. There will be a helicopter pad.
Q We have doctors at Celebration, will they be asked to come to this hospital.?
A Celebration is affiliated with Florida Hospital. I suggest you all ask your doctors directly about their plans.
Q Financing ?
A HCA not public ally traded, owned by Institutional Investors, I.e., Merrill Lynch
Q Avatar should be willing to sell.?
A Avatar is cooperating, it is the legalese that is taking so long.
Q HCA not building?
A Capital is hard to come by due to the slowed economy. Funding issue by Board
Q Who are the people sitting behind you.?
A On the dais were,
-Jeanette Coughenour, Manager of the Association of Poinciana Villages(APV)
-Fernando Valverde, Organizer, Consultant and the Founder of the Friends of the Poinciana Hospital, Fernando also went to Tallahassee to observe and maintain continuity before and during the depositions;
-Cindy Rogers a Solivita resident who was deposed two times and then testified in Tallahassee for over an hour about her and her husband's difficulties in getting to and from the hospital and;
-Annette Brown-Best, resident of Poinciana who went to Tallahassee two times to testify before the Senate Committee on Healthcare and the Administrative Judge on behalf of the Greater Poinciana Community.
-There were four people from Poinciana who testified, Roberto Perez de Leon, a resident of Solivita who testified about his condition and the difficulty in getting to the hospital and Valentin Ramos, Assistant Manager of the Association of Poinciana Villages who testified for over four hours about the population in Poinciana; they were not present for this meeting,
-Ultimately the Certificate Of Need (C.O.N.) to build the critically needed hospital in the Greater Poinciana Community was approved.
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For information
Annette Brown
abrownabbrown@
Fernando Valverde