The approval comes despite objections from officials of Pocono Medical Center in East Stroudsburg, Pa., who claimed the new surgery center would reduce revenues of the non-profit hospital and hinder services to the poor.
Coordinated Health is proposing a surgery center with 4 ORs and 10 patient rooms. It hopes to provide overnight care for up to four days but current interpretations of the healthcare reform law would force the surgery center to only perform ambulatory surgery not requiring an overnight stay, according to the report.
The Smithfield Township Planning Commission will make its final decision following a public hearing Dec. 28.
Read the Pocono Record report about the Smithfield Township surgery center.
Read about other new surgery centers:
– Rhode Island’s Kent Hospital to Build Surgery Center
– Nevada’s Brown Hand Center Adds Surgery Center
– California’s Palo Alto Medical Foundation to Build Outpatient Surgery Center
