Dive Brief:
- The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) announced last week it would not be pursuing plans to construct a new 300,000 square-foot hospital on its previously chosen site in the Pittsburgh suburb of Pleasant Hills.
- A statement released by the hospital said further evaluation had yielded a decision that the site would not adequately meet the system's needs and said it had officially withdrawn its plans with the Pleasant Hills Zoning Hearing Board and land sellers.
- The plan for what would be named UPMC South had been controversial for selecting a location in a residentially-zoned neighborhood that was within a mile of competing system Allegheny Health Network’s Jefferson Hospital.
Dive Insight:
UPMC denied its decision was based on zoning problems or the opposition from local residents and its rival hospital system.
Spokesman Paul Wood told the media the 80-acre tract would not provide sufficient space, but did not say what other locations are now under consideration or what time frame is expected for a new selection. He stated the system is looking at other sites that have subsequently emerged that would better accommodate the future facility and the needs of patients.
Even if opposition was not a factor in the decision, however, it has certainly added drama to the project. It may also continue to do so even when UPMC selects a new site, given that a battle is now in play.
Allegheny Health Network officials accused UPMC from the start of purposely and expensively duplicating their services in the area with the intent to weaken Jefferson Hospital and other local hospitals. On Friday, AHN spokesman Dan Laurent thanked those who provided local opposition and added that any future UPMC plans to build a hospital in the area should also be met with such scrutiny.