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Review Board staff sides with Blessing in dispute over proposed QMG Surgery Center

Review Board staff sides with Blessing in dispute over proposed QMG Surgery Center

5 years, 1 month ago by Scott Hardy

Report issued Tuesday ahead of March 5 meeting

Staff with a state review board have sided with Blessing Healthcare System in its' dispute with Quincy Medical Group over a proposed new Surgery Center in the Quincy Mall.

A report issued Tuesday by the staff of the Illinois Health Facilities & Services Review Board says that QMG's proposed Surgery Center in the former Bergner's building is not in compliance with the Review Board’s criteria. The staff report cited four areas that failed to meet applicable criteria. The report says that the Center, if built, would be an "unnecessary duplication of healthcare services". They add it would adversely impact Blessing Hospital and the current ambulatory surgical treatment center on Hampshire Street in Quincy. The report also says that the new Surgery Center would not improve access to care in the area, fails to meet State criteria for financial viability, and fails to meet criteria on the reasonableness of project costs. The Staff Report also cited Blessing's claims that the Surgery Center would cause Blessing $41 million in financial losses, the loss of 400 jobs, and "would curtail Blessing's ability to cross-subsidize emergency services, behavioral health and safety net services". Those claims were made by Blessing at a late January public hearing in Quincy. In a statement, Blessing says that it hopes the Staff Report will "give QMG pause to reconsider its application and to instead pursue better alternatives to serving the healthcare needs".

The full Review Board is set to meet March 5th on QMG's proposed $19.5 million plan for the new Surgery Center. A re-cap of the Review Board Staff's findings is available below.

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