Court clears way for new Braselton hospital

On Tuesday, the Georgia Supreme Court ruled against Barrow Regional Medical Center (BRMC) after the Winder hospital again appealed the decision to grant a Certificate of Need (CON) to NGMC.

The Sept. 7 decision is the latest in a line of court challenges brought by BRMC.

Northeast Georgia Medical Center originally filed a CON application for a south Hall County hospital in November of 2006. In May of 2007, the Georgia Department of Community Health granted the CON.

Barrow Regional Medical Center appealed twice, but both times the decision to grant the CON was upheld. BRMC then took their case to Barrow County Superior Court. The court ruled in BRMC’s favor in December 2008. NGMC appealed to the Georgia Court of Appeals which reversed the lower court’s decision in March of 2010.

BRMC once again appealed – this time to the Georgia Supreme Court – and once again the court ruled in NGMC’s favor.

“The Georgia Supreme Court’s order upholds the sound and well reasoned decision of the Court of Appeals,” said Armando Basarrate of Parker, Hudson, Rainer and Dobbs, lead attorney for NGHS in the CON proceedings. “The validity of NGMC’s CON for a hospital in South Hall has been proven and tested through multiple venues, and we are pleased that the Georgia Supreme Court has agreed.”

Jim Gardner, president and CEO of Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS), said he was extremely pleased with the court’s decision.

“It’s been a long journey since the Georgia Department of Community Health originally approved our CON application in May 2007, and we’re glad it appears to be over,” he said. “With the support of our community, physicians, hospital staff and board members, NGHS has created a highly regarded healthcare franchise known for superb quality and services. We can now move forward to expand our cutting-edge community based outpatient and hospital care to the South Hall community.”

NGMC will now begin planning for the new healthcare campus, Gardner said.

Until the new facilities open, NGMC will continue to develop the River Place campus in south Hall County. River Place currently houses a 100,000 square foot medical office building which includes an urgent care center, an outpatient imaging center, outpatient lab, rehabilitation services and physician offices representing 15 medical specialties.