Jason Bring Quoted in Daily Report Article on Financial Consequences of Approving Freestanding Emergency Room

AGG Healthcare Litigation co-chair Jason Bring recently appeared before the Georgia Court of Appeals to argue against a certificate of need for a freestanding emergency department proposed in Houston County, Georgia. AGG represents Houston Hospitals, which operates two existing hospitals in the county and several urgent care centers.

Houston Hospitals has been the leading healthcare provider for the county for decades. The new freestanding emergency department proposed to locate directly between Houston’s two hospitals and in the most affluent city in the region. This was the second appearance of the case before the Georgia Court of Appeals. On the last visit, the Court of Appeals agreed with Houston Hospitals and reversed the commissioner of the Department of Community Health. On remand, the commissioner sought to overhaul the decision of a veteran hearing officer who heard all the evidence and witnesses.

“There’s a lot at stake [for Houston Hospitals],” Jason said in an interview with the Daily Report. “The freestanding emergency department is proposed to go almost directly between two existing hospitals, within seven or eight miles. As you might expect, that will draw patients away from our hospitals . . . and the impact on them will be 10% [of patients and revenue] at minimum, but likely in excess of that. The hearing officer found that will have devastating financial consequences.”

To read the full article in the Daily Report, please click here.

For more information on the case or on certificate of need issues in general, please contact Jason.