BICKERING OVER HEART SURGERIES

The bickering continues in Polk County between it's two largest hospitals over the need for another open heart/angioplasty centre.

Currently, Lakeland Regional Medical Centre is the only hospital in Polk authorized to do the heart procedures, and Winter Haven Hospital has been anxious to get into the business. WHH convinced the Agency for Health Care Administration that there was a need for another hospital to do heart surgeries, as residents in Eastern Polk County often go to Orlando as Lakeland is too far. Winter Haven Hospital was given a "certificate of need" and plans to begin it's open heart program during 2005.

But LRMC, seeking to maintain it's exclusive hold on such operations, has challenged the part of state law that allowed Winter Haven to receive it's preliminary approval for it's "certificate of need". The Lakeland hospital has appealed a decision by Leon County Circuit Judge Kevin Davey's ruling that the part of the new law in question is constitutional, and briefs are due by late February.

I say...the more, the merrier. Competition is always good, and LRMC should not fear the idea of it if they truly have faith in their program.

BTW: If Judge Davey's name appears familiar, it probably is. It was his rulings that 1) tried to keep Ralph Nader on the 2004 Presidential Ballot, and 2) Jeb's school voucher program was unconstitutional.