The new VA Hospital in Orlando will not open by December as originally planned, reports the Orlando Sentinel.
Officials with the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs and the building contractor, Brasfield & Gorrie, say they are standing by the December projection. However, even if construction wraps up in December, it will take another 90 days to get the building ready for patients, the Sentinel said.
In other hospital news, Belle Glade’s Lakeside Medical Center is blaming its $12.47-million loss on surging debt, cuts to Medicaid reimbursements and six cases of insurers not paying the hospital the incorrect amount, the Palm Beach Post reports. The public hospital has seen its operating losses increase 20 percent between 2012 and 2013.
Also, Nova Southeastern University and HCA Florida have renewed their request to to build a 100-bed teaching hospital in Davie, the South Florida Sun Sentinelreports. Just two months ago, the Agency for Health Care Administration reject the bid, but Nova has filed a new application, the Sun Sentinel said.
After two years of negotiating, the Marion County Hospital District is in final talks to lease the Munroe Regional Medical Center to the Tennessee-based Community Health System hospital chain. The 40-year lease worth $213 million has to be signed by June 1 or it will be terminated, the Ocala Star Bannerreports.
And finally, the Hazelden addiction center from Minnesota has finalized a merger with the Betty Ford Center which operates a center in Naples. The new Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation won’t make any changes to the four-year-old Naples facility, the Naples Daily News reports.