UPMC plans Monroeville hospital - Pittsburgh Business Times:

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UPMC is seeking planning commission approval to builda 333,789-square-foot hospitalo and 260,955-square-foot parking garage on a 16-acre plot on Mossides Boulevard. UPMC bought the hotel, the former , for $19 millio in March. The health care giantf also bought three nearby parcelszfor $875,000. At the time of the sale, UPMC officiale said the facility would only be an adulgtoutpatient facility. It’s uncertain when plans were changes to accommodatea full-servicew hospital. “We have drawn up planas to consider making the Palace Inn sitea full-service hospital and have files the necessary paperwork with the UPMC spokesman Frank Raczkiewicz said in a preparerd statement.
He declined to elaborate. will conduct a public hearing on theissue Nov. 19 at the municipao building. Monroeville Manager Marshall Bond said the which couldcost $250 million, would eventuallh be approved. "Judging by the team they have I have every reason to believe it will be he said. The new hospital will improve convenience for the 90 to 150 residents ofthe city'e eastern suburbs who alreadyt visit UPMC hospitals every day in Oakland, Bond "They seem to be very patient-oriented." The Forbes Regional Campus of The is less than two milesw from UPMC’s proposed which added open-heart surgery capabilitie this year.
Both hospitals are operated bythe , the secondd biggest hospital network in the region and UPMC rival. Declining reimbursementt and population loss have contributed to the closing of in Lawrencevilld in 2002 and the acquisition this year of the formef Mercy and Mercy Jeannette hospitals by UPMCand Greensburg-basec respectively. Yet, independent consultant Dr. Marti n Fenster questioned the need for anothefr hospitalin Monroeville, saying Pennsylvania needs to reinstate the certificate of need program, which required statre approval for big hospital expenditures.
"That's the stronges argument yet for a certificateof need," said who is principal of Fox Chapel-based for the 21st "They're going to have to cover theirf costs. "Is this the time to put more beds in the Ann Torregrossa, deputy director of Gov. Ed Rendell'as Ofice of Health Care Reform, said she wasn'tg familiar with details of UPMC'zs plan, but said she was concerned abouf the impact on healthcare costs. "We know that when you have too much it willdrive demand," she "If they build it, they will fill it, whichb drives up the cost of healthb care for everyone.
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