A proposal by Holy Cross Hospital to build a new hospital in Maryland’s hotly contested Montgomery County is being challenged by a rival hospital with similar plans – and concerns that religious directives could get in the way of providing certain community services.
Executives for Rockville, Md.-based Adventist HealthCare have asked the Maryland Health Care Commission to delay a final decision on Holy Cross’ proposal to build a $202 million, 93-bed acute care hospital on the Germantown campus of Montgomery College. Adventist, which is seeking to build a $177 million, 86-bed acute care hospital just a few miles north in Clarksburg, claims Holy Cross’ Catholic mission could prevent the new hospital from allowing such services as abortions, fertility treatments, tubal ligation and hormonal contraception.
The two healthcare providers have been battling for several years to expand to Montgomery County, a fast-growing, affluent suburb of Washington D.C. that hasn’t seen a new hospital built in roughly 30 years. At a time when hospitals around the nation are seeking to shore up their finances by expanding their range of outpatient services, the nation’s capital – with its diplomatic community and a good supply of wealthy residents – offers a lucrative source of healthcare business.
“The availability of reproductive information, counseling, support and services for women in Montgomery County is … a matter of serious concern,” states a 105-page document of exceptions filed last week by Adventist officials in the wake of a Dec. 17 report by Maryland Health Care Commission Chairman Marilyn Moon in favor of the Holy Cross proposal. “Having identified the importance of this issue and having made a specific finding that there will be no substantive negative impact of approving (Holy Cross Hospital-Germantown), the recommended decision should state the evidence on which this conclusion is based,” Moon said.
The 15-member commission is scheduled to make a final decision on Jan. 20. Adventist officials contend that Moon, in conducting seven days of hearings late last year on the Holy Cross proposal, didn’t take into account the availability of reproductive services.
“Our exceptions identify issues and concerns that are vitally important to address before there is any ruling to establish Maryland's first hospital in a metropolitan area in more than 30 years. This decision is too important for the citizens of Montgomery County and Maryland to be rushed through the full commission,” argued William Robertson, Adventist’s president and chief executive, in a press release.
Moon disagreed.
“I do not find that approval … would have a substantial negative impact on the availability or accessibility of the services that (Holy Cross Hospital-Germantown) will not provide, because it will be adhering to the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church,” she wrote.
Adventist officials are also arguing whether Holy Cross’ decision to build a new hospital to relieve overcrowding at its Silver Spring campus would be any better or more affordable than Adventist’s own proposal to build a new hospital to relieve pressure at its Rockville and Takoma Park campuses. And officials say Holy Cross lacks land use and government permits for the project.
Furthermore, Adventist officials are asking why Moon chose the Holy Cross project over their own when a May report by the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission questioned whether either health system could finance a new hospital.
Holy Cross officials haven’t responded to Adventist’s concerns, but have said they support Moon’s recommendation.
“We plan to file no exceptions," said Yolanda Gaskins, a Holy Cross spokesperson. “We think Dr. Moon did a wonderful job in handling the review process and are delighted with the recommendation. We look forward to the (recommendation) of the full commission on the 20th.”