Page 5 - February 2017

To CON or Not to CON John Couris, President & Chief Executive Officer, Jupiter Medical Center
Linkedin: /jcouris<https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcouris>
BY JOHN COURIS Twitter: @jcouris<https://twitter.com/jcouris>
Blog: inventing health.blogspot.com<http://inventinghealth.blogspot.com>
I recently returned from Tallahassee, where I made a presenta-
tion to the Florida House of Representative’s Health Innovation
subcommittee on the potential deregulation of the Certificate of Cost: It is true that with deregulation, we will see more hospitals
Need (CON), here in the State of Florida. come into the community. However, with the arrival of these new hos-
For those outside of the industry, the Certificate of Need pro- pitals comes the likelihood that independent hospitals will get consoli-
gram is a regulatory process that requires certain health care dated into larger health care systems. This will mean less choice and
providers to obtain state approval before offering new or expand- higher cost for the consumer. The reality is that larger hospital systems
ed services. The CON program in Florida regulates the construc- are reimbursed for the work they do at a significantly higher rate than
tion of new hospitals, hospices, skilled nursing facilities, and BY JOHN COURIS independent nonprofit hospitals, which results in the consumer footing
care facilities for the developmentally disabled, as well as certain a larger portion of the bill.
hospital services. Quality: While I don’t believe there is a correlation between CON and
The deregulation of CON is a hot topic in the health care sector and while there quality, what is well-documented through extensive research is the fact
is not currently a bill in front of lawmakers, legislators are weighing the pros and that the more times a hospital performs a specific procedure, the more proficient it
cons of maintaining the practice. I felt it was important for them to hear from those becomes and the better the outcomes. With CON in place, hospitals gain expertise
directly involved in providing care to Floridians. in specific procedures due to increased volume among fewer hospitals.
As a health care provider, our goal at Jupiter Medical is three-fold: 1) to improve Access: With the deregulation of CON comes more hospitals which means more
patient outcomes and the quality of care we provide; 2) maintain or, when possible, hospital beds. This also means more pressure to fill beds. In our community, we
decrease cost; and 3) improve access to the services we offer. If we can do these have plenty of beds and do not need more. Many of the hospitals in our region are
things at the same time, then we are batting a thousand. operating at less than 60% capacity.
With this goal in mind, I have spent a lot of time studying the positives and neg- Where additional access is needed is in the ambulatory and post-acute service
atives of CON deregulation. Research is all over the map regarding whether dereg- markets - in everything from physical therapy rehabilitation centers to urgent care
ulation improves quality, lowers cost and increases access. There are those who facilities to imaging facilities. This is why I support deregulation of CON for these
believe that it will achieve these goals, while others feel it will have the opposite types of services.
effect. And so, for those consumers who want to ensure high-quality, affordable and
I am a strong believer in the free market system and understand that healthy accessible health care for themselves and their families, I encourage you to reach
competition can be good for business and consumers. This is not about competi- out to your elected officials and make your voice heard.
tion - we compete every single day at Jupiter Medical Center. This is not about a Finally, I would ask government officials, health care leaders and those that have
free market economy. Free market economics does not apply to acute hospital care. an opportunity to play a role in the future of health care in Florida, to think about
We must take care of every patient that walks in the door. what would be repaired - if anything - by deregulating Certificate of Need. Would
What the regulation of CON is about is what is best for the consumer. As some- changing Florida’s healthcare planning process through Certificate of Need
one who provides health care in a non-profit setting within a specific local com- improve health care for your community and constituents? I think you will find
munity, and whose primary responsibility is to the people we serve, my recommen- the answer to be no.
dation is to continue Certificate of Need for acute care hospitals. The deregulation of CON matters because it is about you. It is about the patient.
The deregulation has the potential to negatively impact the consumer in the fol- It is about the health and well-being of our community. And so, I invite you to
lowing ways: engage with me on this topic, as I continue discussing ways we can all contribute.

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South Florida Hospital News southfloridahospitalnews.com February 2017 5