The University of Miami Hospital and Clinics is challenging a decision by the state Agency for Health Care Administration to approve a new adult bone-marrow transplant program at Baptist Hospital of Miami.
In a case filed Friday in the state Division of Administrative Hearings, the University of Miami hospital contends that AHCA should not have given preliminary approval for what is known as a "certificate of need" for the new Baptist program.
In part, the University of Miami hospital argued that it already has such as program and would be harmed if Baptist is allowed to move forward.
"The unnecessary duplication of highly specialized and complex services attendant to approval of Baptist's application will result in decreased utilization of petitioner's (University of Miami Hospital's) program, as well as the other health care providers providing similar services in the service area, and, consequently would adversely affect the patient volume of petitioner and such other providers so as to impact quality and other considerations," the University of Miami Hospital petition said.
The case has been assigned to Administrative Law Judge James H. Peterson III, and attorneys for Baptist also quickly made filings to take part in the case.
