Quincy, Ill.-based Blessing Health System spoke out against Quincy Medical Group's planned surgery center during a public meeting Jan. 24, WGEM reports.
What you should know:
1. Blessing officials said a second surgery center in the area would siphon and duplicate services offered at Blessing. Losing surgical revenue to QMG would hurt Blessing's ability to finance other services not fully covered by insurance, such as psychiatric care, according to Blessing leaders.
2. Blessing CEO Maureen Kahn said a new surgery center wouldn't drive down prices because Blessing's center is underutilized. Blessing is currently operating at about 50 percent utilization, she said.
3. QMG CEO Carol Brockmiller said the group has done careful research to ensure the new development would lower costs, increase quality and improve efficiency.
4. Ms. Brockmiller dispelled concerns that profits from the new surgery center would leave the state because Des Moines, Iowa-based UnityPoint Health System owns shares in QMG.
"UnityPoint does not invest in the surgery center," she said. "They do not receive profits from the surgery center. That is true for all of Quincy Medical Group business. Their purchase of 45 percent of our shares in 2012 was a sale purchase. It does not mean that the profits leave. They have never left."
5. The Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board will make a decision on the proposed surgery center March 5.