5 years, 2 months ago by Scott Hardy
Request made in Wednesday letter to state review board
Blessing Healthcare System has asked a state board to either delay, or deny, approving a new Surgery Center proposed by Quincy Medical Group in the former Bergner's building in the Quincy Mall.
Blessing made the request Wednesday in a letter to the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board. They're set to meet March 5th in Springfield over granting a Certificate of Need, which would allow QMG to build the new Surgery Center. In the 7-page letter released Wednesday night, Blessing CEO Maureen Kahn asked for a delay in the hearing, so Blessing and QMG could "fully explore a cooperative venture." Earlier this week, Blessing proposed offering a 40% share in the current Surgery Center to select QMG doctors. QMG says they rejected the offer. Kahn also says in the letter that if the Review Board won't delay the hearing, then Blessing would "respectfully urge" denial, calling the proposal an un-necessary duplication of facilities. The letter also says that QMG's plan to put a cardiac cath lab in the Bergner's location is "unprecedented and questionable", and that QMG's application failed to meet about 20 Review Board regulations.
The full letter and a statement from Kahn is available below.
