A bill has been introduced in the General Assembly that would allow for construction of a rehabilitation hospital in Middletown.
The Associated Press reported Gov. Jack Markell has pushed for the hospital that would be operated by Health South, even though state health care regulators opposed the measure.
Markell was accused of meddling in the regulatory process by replacing regulators. The state Supreme Court later ruled in favor of the Middletown nursing home operator that opposed the expansion, the AP reported.
Rehabilitation is a profitable activity for nursing homes.
A summary of the bill says the measure “promotes and facilitates the construction and operation within the State of Delaware of freestanding inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, which generally are capable of providing services to victims of stroke, spinal cord injuries, amputation or other traumas. No person shall be required to apply for or obtain a Certificate of Public Review for purposes of constructing, developing or establishing a freestanding inpatient rehabilitation hospital.”
The fast-growing Middletown area has been pushing for expansion of health care facilities. Christiana Care, the state’s largest health care system recently opened a $34 million emergency center in Middletown.
Click on the link below for a copy of the bill:
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