Becker's ASC Review

15 JOINT VENTURES Physician-Owned Hospital Bill Introduced in Senate: 5 Things to Know By Laura Dyrda S en. James Lankford, R-Okla., in- troduced legislation in the Senate to improve access to physician-led hospitals. Here are five things to know about the Pa- tient Access to Higher Quality Health Care Act of 2017: 1. e Act would repeal the moratorium on physician-owned hospitals that was enacted in 2010 as part of the Affordable Care Act. 2. e legislation would li restrictions on forming and expanding physician-owned hospitals, which are oen high quality and low cost facilities. Last year, seven of the top 10 hospitals with the highest overall performance scores in the CMS Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program were physician-owned. 3. Last year, physician-owned hospitals rep- resented 5 percent of the hospitals partici- pating in the CMS value-based purchasing program, but landed in 40 of the top 100 performing hospitals in the country. e physician-owned hospitals stand to save Medicare $3.2 billion over a 10-year period. 4. Physician Hospitals of America supports the legislation and sent a letter co-signed by more than 50 other organizations and prac- tices — including the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons and American Association of Neurological Surgeons — in support of the bill. 5. e bill is a companion to H.R. 1156, which Rep. Sam Johnson, R-Texas, intro- duced in the House of Representatives.n North Carolina Hospital Executives Speak Out After CON Repeal Bill Passes State Senate By Mary Rechtoris T he North Carolina Senate passed a budget proposal in- cluding an amendment to repeal the state's certificate- of-need laws, drawing criticism from hospital groups, according to Daily Advance. Here are five things to know: 1. Jeffrey Sackrison, president of Windsor, N.C.-based Vidant Bertie Hospital and Edenton, N.C.-based Vidant Chowan Hos- pital, said repealing the legislation will not lower costs, which proponents are claiming. 2. Mr. Sackrison said the CON laws create obstacles for physi- cians that legislators need to address. However, he argued rural hospitals can provide services for residents in the area and therefore the surgery center would not be necessary to provide such services, according to Daily Advance. 3. Elizabeth City, N.C.-based Sentara Albemarle Hospital Presi- dent Coleen Santa Ana also opposed the law, telling Daily Advance in an email that the law allows her affiliated hospitals to offer care despite patients' difficulty paying. 4. State Rep. Bob Steinburg, R-Chowan, said although he understands opponents' worries, he said he will likely support the repeal, choosing to vote "on the side of free enterprise." 5. Fairfax, Va.-based George Mason University research- ers found North Carolina has the third most restrictive CON system in the nation. Currently, 37 states have such regula- tions. n Dallas Hospital Unexpectedly Closes By Ayla Ellison W alnut Hill Medical Center, a for-profit 100-bed hospital in Dallas, closed June 2, according to The Dallas Morning News. Confusion about whether the hospital was shutting down arose on Thursday evening after Rich Guerra, MD, a cardiologist and executive board member at Walnut Hill Medical Center, posted a note titled "Farewell WHMC" to a Facebook page called "Expats of Walnut Hill Medical Center," according to the re- port. Dr. Guerra wrote, "How do I begin? I could start by saying how sorry I am that our journey together is at an end. I certainly am sorry that our Walnut Hill family will be scattering to the four winds." The page was later taken down and employees were reportedly told the morning of June 2 the hospital was closing. In a statement issued June 2 to The Dallas Morning News, hospital spokesperson Natalie Weeks con- firmed Walnut Hill Medical Center had closed. The statement did not include details about how many employees were affected by the hospital's closure. According to Walnut Hill Medical Center's website, the hospital is a joint venture between a Franklin, Tenn.-based hospital management company and a development company from Texas. Walnut Hill Medical Center did not immediately respond to Becker's request for comment. n

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