There was good news for advocates of a proposed cancer center to be built in Florence Wednesday, as the State of Alabama Certificate of Need (CON) Review Board granted Certificate of Need for the project by a 4-1 vote.
While that vote isn't the final potential legal hurdle for the proposed cancer care center, it was an important step in that direction for the Northwest Alabama Cancer Care LLC, the entity that applied to the CON Board seeking to construct a 19,000-square foot facility adjacent to the new North Alabama Medical Center in Florence.
The cancer center would be a joint project between the North Alabama Medical Center and the University of Alabama Birmingham health care system.
Rep. Johnny Mack Morrow (D-Red Bay) was ecstatic to hear the board's ruling. Morrow has taken an active role in supporting the project to make quality cancer care more accessible for north Alabama residents.
“Franklin County folks shouldn't have to go to Huntsville or Birmingham for their cancer treatment. That's why this project is so important,” Morrow said.
A spokesperson for the State Health Planning and Development Agency confirmed the board's approval Wednesday morning. There is an appeal process for the intervenors, who opposed the project, among them Alliance Oncology, a division of Alliance HealthCare Services, Inc., a national provider of outsourced healthcare services. Alliance Oncology has a partnership agreement with Huntsville Hospital Health System.
Alliance's opposition was based on the project “not being in the best interest of the public,” according to a statement from Alliance officials.
RegionalCare applied with the board in 2013 to build the cancer center but that application was denied by the Certificate of Need Review Board.
Alliance, or any other intervenor, may now request an appeal hearing or file an appeal of the CON Board's ruling directly with the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals, according to a State Health Planning and Development Agency spokesperson.
Morrow held a press conference in December to publicly support the project. He was joined by several other elected officials and Russell Pigg, ECM Hospital CEO. Morrow said the proposed facility would give northwest Alabama residents more options when it comes to making health care choices.
“The Shoals area can have a state-of-the-art cancer center that's easily accessible to all of our citizens,” Morrow said. “UAB is willing to invest its time, money and clinical expertise in our area and this will give patients who are leaving Franklin County and the Shoals a choice to be treated by UAB in the Shoals area instead of having to travel a long distance.
“The intervenors took the position that the conditions from 2013 when the CON Board denied the request haven't changed. Obviously, we disagreed strongly with that,” Morrow, who attended Wednesday's hearing, added.
Morrow recalled how opponents of the new North Alabama Medical Center delayed that project moving forward with extended appeals and court battles.
“They kept that project tied up several years and we hope they won't do that in this case. For the people in the Shoals, Franklin County, southern Tennessee and Mississippi, there's no reason to deny them these important services,” Morrow said.
