Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, September 11, 1995 TAG: 9509110017
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
A process is under way to decide whether a new hospital in the Radford area will be built by Radford Community Hospital, affiliated with the Carilion Health System of Roanoke, or Pulaski Community Hospital and Montgomery Regional Hospital, both part of the Nashville-based Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corp.
That process mirrors one completed earlier this year over a different competition, but with two of the same players. It involved competing applications from Pulaski Community and Radford Community over which, if either, would get to build a cancer treatment center in the New River Valley.
As that process showed, it hardly matters which competitor wins points along the way. The only question is what Virginia's health commissioner decides.
There had been earlier cancer center competition between Radford Community, which at first wanted to build a treatment facility in Christiansburg, and Lewis-Gale Hospital, which wanted to expand its existing center in Salem. Then-Health Commissioner Robert Stroube denied both applications in 1993.
By then, Radford already had submitted a second one for a center at a different location - just outside Radford in Montgomery County off Virginia 177 and Interstate 81.
That is where the hospital planned to move its entire plant by 1998, a plan now challenged by Pulaski Community's bid to build its own hospital in Radford.
Just as Pulaski is challenging Radford over who will get to build the hospital, it came up with a proposal of its own in 1993 for a cancer center connected to its existing hospital.
In August 1993, residents of the New River Valley got a chance to state their preferences to officials of the Southwest Virginia Health Systems Agency at a public hearing that overflowed the circuit courtroom in Radford. The hearing went well into the night and, if nothing else, established that residents wanted a treatment center in the valley rather than having to travel to Salem, Bristol or Richlands.
A similar public hearing is set for 6:30 tonight at Radford High School on the two proposals for building a hospital in the Radford area. After the hearing, HSA Executive Director Richard Roark will write the staff analysis and summary with his recommendations.
That will be presented to the HSA board of directors at its 7 p.m. meeting Oct. 4 at the Airport Holiday Inn in Roanoke. Applicants will have 10 minutes each to present their case to the board. The board will ask questions, then vote on a recommendation to send to the state along with Roark's staff report.
The same process is repeated at the state level by the Department of Health Office of Resource Development.
If an application is denied, the applicant can seek an informational fact-finding conference overseen by Adjudication Officer Raymond Perry. His recommendation goes to Acting Health Commissioner Donald Stern, who makes the decision.
That's supposed to happen Dec. 8, but it is unlikely to make that schedule. The cancer center competition took more than two years to get to the decision point.
After the hearing, the HSA board asked the Pulaski and Radford hospitals to consider working out a joint cancer treatment center project. In January 1994, with no joint agreement in sight, the HSA staff recommended approving Pulaski's application.
Instead, the HSA board recommended that both applications be denied and again urged that the hospitals work out something together.
Radford Community sought yet another strategy and began talking with representatives of hospitals in Smyth, Wythe and Giles counties and the city of Galax about forming a consortium to submit yet another application to the state for a cancer center.
In August 1994, an application came from Radford, Wythe County Community, Twin County Regional at Galax, and Giles Memorial Hospitals to build a joint treatment center at the Wytheville hospital. One month later, the agency recommended that project.
Meanwhile, Radford had not withdrawn its original application, so all three applications then went before the fact-finding hearing in Richmond. Nothing happened until March, when Stern chose the Pulaski application.
The certificate was issued March 20 and will expire one year from that date. Pulaski must have made a start on construction or seek an extension.
Back in late 1993, when Pulaski Town Council approved a conditional-use permit allowing the Pulaski treatment center to be built at the hospital, Administrator Chris Dux said schematic drawings already had been completed and construction could be under way within a month or so of state approval.
But no start has been made, more than five months after Stern's selection of the Pulaski application.
Kevin Meyer, director of marketing at Pulaski Community, said architects have met with doctors from Salem, who would use the center, and with some cancer patients to get their ideas on how to make it as user-friendly as possible.
Bids will be sought soon on construction, he said, and only at that point will Columbia/HCA corporate headquarters release the funds. A ground-breaking ceremony would then be scheduled.
\ Cancer Center Applications Highlights
April 1993:
Radford Community Hospital applies for state permission to build a cancer treatment center just outside Radford in Montgomery County. Earlier, it had applied to build a center in Christiansburg, in competition with an application from Lewis-Gale Hospital to expand its cancer treatment facilities in Salem.
Pulaski Community Hospital files to build a center at its existing hospital.
August 1993:
State Health Commissioner Robert Stroube denies the application from Lewis-Gale Hospital and the Radford application to build at Christiansburg. A public hearing is held on the remaining applications by Radford and Pulaski.
September 1993:
Southwest Virginia Health Systems Agency is scheduled to hear competing presentations from Pulaski Community and Radford Community on their cancer centers. Instead, the board asks the two hospitals to try and work out a joint project.
January 1994:
With no joint agreement in site, the HSA staff recommends Pulaski's application be approved and Radford's be denied. The staff says a joint venture would still be best.
February 1994:
The HSA board recommends denying both applications and again urges that the hospitals consider a joint cancer treatment center.
August 1994:
Radford joins a consortium of other hospitals, including Wythe County Community, Twin County Regional at Galax, and Giles Memorial, recommending a cancer center at Wytheville. It continues to keep its separate application for a cancer center active.
September 1994:
The HSA recommends the Wytheville site. The competing applications go to a fact-finding hearing in Richmond.
March 1995:
Acting Commissioner Donald Stern approves the Pulaski application.
September 1995:
No construction started yet.
by CNB