Hospitals push back on Florida proposal for organ-transplant program approvals

"TALLAHASSEE - High-profile Florida hospitals are lining up to battle over a new state proposal about approving organ-transplant programs. Nemours Children's Hospital last week moved to intervene at the state Division of Administrative Hearings to support a proposed transplant-programs rule issued in August by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. That came after Memorial Healthcare System in Broward County and AdventHealth Orlando intervened to support the proposed rule."

"Tampa General Hospital, UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville and Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami filed challenges last month to the rule, alleging it does not include adequate safeguards for quality of care. Administrative Law Judge Joshua Pratt has scheduled a three-day hearing, starting Dec. 17, to consider the consolidated challenges. The proposed rule and challenges came after years of debate and disputes about approving transplant programs. The proposal rule, in part, would revise standards for hospitals that want to begin providing such procedures. - and continue providing them after getting initial approvals."

""The committee met and participated in a good faith, healthy debate over the particulars to be included in the transplantation licensure rule," Nemours attorneys wrote. "All parties were given an opportunity to participate and to persuade other committee members to their points of view.""

High-profile Florida hospitals are engaged in legal action over a proposed state rule governing the approval and continuation of organ-transplant programs. Nemours Childrens Hospital, Memorial Healthcare System and AdventHealth filed motions to support the proposed rule. Tampa General, UF Health Shands and Jackson Memorial challenged the rule, asserting it lacks adequate safeguards for quality of care. An administrative hearing is scheduled for Dec. 17 to consider consolidated challenges. The proposal would revise standards for hospitals that want to begin and continue providing transplant procedures. Challengers emphasize the absence of minimum annual procedure-volume requirements to ensure proficiency.

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