EASTON, Md.- A new regional hospital is coming to Maryland's midshore but first a certificate of need, which demonstrates how the hospital will meet health needs, must be accepted.
Caroline and Queen Anne's counties want what is called an interested party status. That would allow them to appeal the certificate of need, but Talbot County is not on board.
"I am very concerned, an appeal of the certificate of need we were due to break ground in the spring if we were successful in getting it and an appeal could delay this for years," said Talbot County Council President Dirck Bartlett.
Bartlett believes Caroline and Queen Anne's are abusing the process.
"They're saying I want the right to appeal so that we can ask for certain things from Shore Health and obtain these benefits that Shore Health for whatever reason hasn't provided before," Bartlett said. "We think it's an abuse of the appeal process."
However, Caroline County officials said they have no intentions of delaying the project. They just want services they deem suitable for their citizens.
"Our concern at this point has not been in delaying anything, we want to know what our citizens are going to get," said Caroline County Commissioner Larry Porter.
With no urgent care facility or specialists in Caroline County, Porter said better services are vital.
"It's been touted as a regional hospital and certainly we are a part of the region," Porter said. "Our studies show that Caroline provides about 30 percent of the patients at the hospital so we have a large stake in it and our major goal is to make sure we increase the availability of healthcare access to Caroline County."
All counties involved must agree if they want to see this hospital built, but it appears more legal wrangling must be dealt with first.
