Dive Brief:
- Florida cardiac physicians are voicing outrage over the state's abandonment of quality standards for pediatric heart surgery.
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Physicians argued the standards had been in place for 38 years, had never been contested, and had served as a model for other states.
- The state's Department of Health said the standards could not remain because the agency had never received permission from the legislature to enact them.
Dive Insight:
The state's move is particularly controversial because opponents note the change in policy followed closely behind a political donation of $200,000 to Florida Republicans by major hospital system Tenet Healthcare, owner of St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach.
The hospital was targeted by a CNN investigation in June 2015 that showed it did not meet the state quality standards for pediatric heart surgery, as well as by an earlier 2014 expert panel that had recommended the hospital shutter its program but lacked the authority to make it do so.
The state announced its intent to repeal the hospital standards in July, however St. Mary's did end its program in August 2015 and saw the resignation of its CEO.
Representatives for Tenet Healthcare and Gov. Rick Scott (R) deny they had any conversations about dropping the standards, CNN reports.