St Vincents gets the green light to build a new hospital

[reednavy]

I believe HCA wants to construct a Westside hospital and is disputing the need for St. Vincents' new hospital, leading to this delay.

[urbanlibertarian]

Why not let anyone who wants to build a hospital do it?  Competition is good for patients.

[reednavy]

Why not let anyone who wants to build a hospital do it?  Competition is good for patients.

Good question, for all we know there is probably some stupid law or something.

[reednavy]

Two articles I could find:
http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2009-11-11/story/documents_show_hca_planning_modest_hospital_on_jacksonvilles_westside

Article on the HCA proposal getting approved
http://www.allbusiness.com/government/government-bodies-offices/13598234-1.html

[Jim]

Why not let anyone who wants to build a hospital do it?  Competition is good for patients.

Good question, for all we know there is probably some stupid law or something.

Lots of factors.   The volume of public and private money and resources tied to a hospital must be carefully weighed based on population need else the money and resources are spread too thin negatively impacting all local hospitals.

[urbanlibertarian]

Just don't tie any public money and resources to a hospital without need and let the private money and resources go where they please.

[Jim]

I too would like to see more free market forces applied to the medical filed (hospitals included) but that's not something we can change just for this hospital.  Until then, we gotta play those rules.

[billy]

In theory, everyone otherwise would only build facilities where paying patients live.

[jandar]

HCA tried to block St Vincent's and Baptist.
They then countered that they wanted to build a hospital in Green Cove Springs.

In other words, HCA wanted a monopoly on care in Clay County.

What those two articles fail to mention, HCA tried to block St Vincents and Baptist in Clay long before they even announced a westside location.

All are clamoring that it would take patients and money away, but St Vincents is the one who first identified that there was a huge underserved population.

[urbanlibertarian]

Private businesses using politicians to limit competition and make their businesses more profitable at the expense of consumers.  Crony Capitalism.  And it's practiced by both parties.

[Jason]

From the St. Vincent's website...




Source: http://www.jaxhealth.com/locations/hospitals-profile.aspx?id=67&searchId=c6994056-a2e2-df11-b8f9-005056947912&sort=11&page=1&pageSize=10

[jandar]

Looks good to me. North is facing right on that map.

They need to get this thing built, way too much population to rely on Orange Park Medical Center.

[jandar]

They have officially broken ground on this project.
http://www.claytodayonline.com/content/3495_1.php

St. Vincent’s HealthCare CEO Moody Chisholm told an audience filled with area business executives, Clay County government officials and school board members on Thursday, June 23 that construction of the facility next to the Wal-Mart near Blanding Boulevard will have a $50 million to $70 million impact locally.

He said the project, estimated to cost $110 million to $120 million, will create 80 jobs during its construction phase and 350 more positions â€" directly and indirectly â€" once it is completed in the fall of 2013.