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Retirees Raise Voices Against Hospital Move

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By LIZ BLEAU, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 17, 2007

SUN CITY CENTER - When Ed Barnes was looking for a place to move to four years ago, he and his wife, Nancy, chose this retirement community in part because it has a hospital in town.

Now that hospital is applying for permission to relocate six miles north, the Barneses are among the ranks of retirees here who are strongly opposed to that idea.

They will attend a hearing this month to oppose South Bay Hospital's plans to move its 112 beds to a new facility on Big Bend Road in Riverview.

'I think it's motivated by a new CEO who wants to make a mark for himself,' Ed Barnes said.

South Bay CEO Steve Daugherty withdrew a previous application by South Bay's owner, HCA, to build a new hospital on Big Bend Road and keep South Bay open. The hospital then filed a new application to close and relocate.

'HCA previously applied to keep our hospital open. Two years later HCA wants to close this hospital. To me this doesn't make sense,' Barnes said. 'If there was a need for another hospital two years ago, there's certainly a need now with all the growth here.'

Barnes is concerned that many residents who rely on golf carts to get around town and to the hospital won't have access.

He's also concerned that many of the services and professionals who are connected to the hospital or located here because of it also will leave town.

Barnes said he talked to hundreds of his fellow residents and hasn't found anyone who supports South Bay's latest plans.

Residents To Speak Out

The opposition to the hospital's plans are likely to be large and loud at the hearing, set for Oct. 30 at 1910 S. Pebble Beach Blvd. from 9 a.m. to noon.

Originally scheduled to be held in St. Petersburg, it was moved at the request of community leaders who said it would not be convenient for residents to make the trip to St. Petersburg.

The testimony from the hearing will become part of the data that will be reviewed before a decision on the hospital's proposed move is made by the Florida Agency on Health Care Administration in December.

The decision will be made by the agency staff that will base it on the statutory requirements for allowing a new hospital, said ACHA spokesman Fernando Senra.

The agency staff will not necessarily be attending the hearing, which is being conducted by the Health Council of West Central Florida, according to Barbara Martinez, staff member for the council, who has already received between 250 to 300 letters opposing the proposed move. She has received no letters in support.

Paul Wheat, president of the Sun City Center Community Association, which has about 11,000 members, said the issue is an emotional one for many residents. Many of them, like he did, moved to the community in part because it had a hospital nearby.

'This is probably the most important issue this community has faced,' he said.

The community hall will hold about 850 people, and Wheat expects it to be filled or nearly filled for the Oct. 30 hearing.

Wheat said people who want to speak at the hearing will be asked to fill out cards prior to the meeting. He said organizers were working on a plan for medical professionals to be allotted a specific time period, so that they would not have to wait to speak.

Originally, there had been some talk of extending the hearing into the afternoon, but Martinez said the council hopes to wrap it up by noon.

'It will be a public relations nightmare if people in this community who want to speak are not provided that opportunity, and I don't think we can get it all done in the morning,' Wheat said. 'I don't think they realize how many people are interested in this issue and have strong feelings about it.'

Hospital To Provide Transportation

South Bay has responded to some of the residents' concerns, Daugherty said. The hospital has agreed to provide transportation from its Sun City Center facility to the new hospital, so that people who depend on golf carts can still drive them to the existing site and use hospital transportation to get to Big Bend Road. The existing hospital will become a free-standing emergency room and will also have other services, such as therapy.

'Our plan is to expand and improve access to services, not to contract them,' he said. 'We are committed to having a strong medical presence in Sun City Center.'

Another issue for residents is the Sun City Center Emergency Squad, made up of 400 volunteers, that provides ambulance and medical transportation to residents. Initially, the squad was not sure its bylaws would allow it to take patients out of Sun City Center, but squad chief Mike Anderson said the ambulances can provide the free service as long as the call originates or ends in Sun City Center.

Because the squad is a nonprofit organization, Anderson said he isn't allowed to lobby either way on the hospital issue.
Daugherty said the purpose of the relocation is to bring a state-of-the-art hospital to the area. The current hospital cannot expand on its 16-acre site. The Big Bend Road site is 66 acres and across the street from where St. Joseph's Hospital has also applied to build a hospital.

St. Joseph's application to build on Big Bend Road was originally denied and is under appeal. The administrative appeal begins Oct. 29 in Tallahassee.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Public hearing by the Heath Council of West Central Florida

WHEN: 9 a.m. to noon Oct. 30

WHERE: Community Hall, 1910 S. Pebble Beach Blvd., Sun City Center
WHY: To hear comments on the application of South Bay Hospital to relocate from Sun City Center to Big Bend Road, Riverview

Reporter Liz Bleau can be reached at (813) 865-1557 or lbleau@tampatrib.com.

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