Unlike many other businesses, EMMC can not just build or renovate as we see fit. In 1978, the state of Maine passed a Certificate of Need (CON) law, requiring that new or expanded healthcare facilities and equipment be approved by the state government. Healthcare organizations wanting to expand or renovate their space must submit a Certificate of Need application to the Certificate of Need Unit. This group reviews all applications and makes an initial recommendation to the Commissioner of the Department of Health and Human Services. The organization then has 10 business days to respond to the initial recommendation. At this time, the CON Unit reviews the response and makes their final recommendation for approval or denial of the application to the Commissioner.
In June 2008, the state's Certificate of Need unit released their preliminary recommendation for disapproval of EMMC's Inpatient Care Certificate of Need--a major phase of EMMC's Stepping Stones project. We believe our case for the need for additional inpatient capacity and modern operating rooms and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) facilities is strong, as is the support in the region for this important project.
In their recommended denial the CON unit citied several concerns which we have addressed in a written response. To learn more, please view a summary of our response