Blessing Health System is asking for review of the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board’s recent decision to approve the Quincy Medical Group small format hospital.
The Health System’s Board of Trustees says that it is obligated to raise legitimate concerns about whether or not the state board fulfilled its duty of legislatively required regional health care planning in making the QMG decision. Because the legislature determined that protecting access to hospital and medical care for all Illinoisans is a legal obligation of the state, Illinois has health care certificate of need laws and a state board that is responsible for upholding those laws.
The state board’s decision will lead to the loss of federal “Sole Community Hospital” status due to the close location of the QMG hospital to Blessing. Sole Community Hospital status provides support that allows Blessing to deliver equitable and inclusive healthcare for all of the residents of this region by financially subsidizing Medicare, Medicaid and charity care.
Blessing’s patient base is 75% Medicare/Medicaid and charity care.
Blessing says that the state board ignored its legally designated mission to ensure sustainable, equitable and inclusive health care for all residents by approving the QMG hospital plan without adequate consideration of the negative affects it would have on the majority of patients who receive and will continue to receive their hospital care from Blessing and other safety net service providers in the region.
The request for a legal review does not include the QMG Birth Center, which also received a permit.
Blessing filed the appeal of the certificate of need permit in Sangamon County Court on Tuesday, May 31, 2022.
“Blessing Health System has an obligation to its patients, and to all community hospitals in Illinois to stand up to the threat to rural acute care hospitals that is posed by investor backed, physician owned small format, low acuity hospitals,” said Maureen Kahn, MSN, MHA, RN, president/chief executive officer, Blessing Health System. “Blessing must challenge the state board’s disregard for its own mission, rules and regulations.”
“Our Board has an obligation as the steward of our community hospital to protect the sustainability of hospital care for all residents by questioning this certificate of need. The community deserves a neutral and unbiased review of this hospital permit for the benefit of every patient. The implications are bigger than just harm to Blessing,” Kahn concluded.