Dive Brief:
- Despite having its application for a proposed hospital denied, HCA Holdings paid $24 million for the Doral, Florida site, the South Florida Business Journal reported.
- HCA subsidiary East Florida-DMC purchased the 17.55-acre lot from Netherlands Antilles-based Aran Properties.
- HCA filed a lawsuit in January asking a Florida administrative law judge to overturn the state’s denial.
Dive Insight:
HCA and Jackson Health system both filed applications to build a 100-bed hospital in Doral in December. The Agency for Health Care Administration subsequently denied HCA’s application and approved JHS’ request. Five rival hospitals are challenging that approval in court, on grounds that a new facility isn’t needed.
Three of the hospitals — Coral Gables Hospital, Palmetto General and Hialeah Hospital — are owned by Tenet Healthcare. The other two are Kendal Regional Medical Center and Nicklaus Children’s.
In addition to having the ACHA’s denial overturned, HCA is asking the administrative law judge to reverse approval of JHS’ application.
In February, HCA filed a new application to build a hospital in Doral. While the ACHA’s decision on that application isn’t due until June 3, the company’s acquisition of the site suggests officials betting on a positive outcome — either with the ACHA or the court.