St. Dominic Health Systems has purchased 51 acres at the planned Reunion Parkway interchange with long-term plans for a health care facility.
The purchase came the day after the state Court of Appeals ruling last week that despite St. Dominic's objections, the Madison County Medical Center can relocate to a new property on Interstate 55 near the Nissan auto plant in Canton.
A representative for St. Dominic said that the timing of the court's ruling and the property transaction was coincidental.
Ed Brunini, general counsel for St. Dominic, said that the purchase of the land from the Blackwell family was "an old strategy with a new development" for the hospital.
"We've been looking for property in Madison County for years," said Brunini.
The exact nature of the facility, however, remains undecided, according to Brunini, who did not disclose the financial terms of the deal.
"It may not be a hospital," said Brunini, who is also the attorney for the Board of Supervisors.
He said that concerns about the hospital's property at St. Catherine's Village in Madison had motivated St. Dominic to look for a new facility.
St. Dominic had applied to build an acute-care facility at St. Catherine's Village, but that plan was opposed by Health Management Associates, which leases the county-owned Canton hospital, and ultimately denied by the state Department of Health.
Subsequently, the state Department of Health in 2005 granted the certificate of need to the Madison County Medical Center for its relocation. St. Dominic then appealed this certificate.
Brunini said that the anticipated access through the interchange at I-55 and the east-west corridor of Reunion Parkway was one of the strongest reasons for purchasing the property.
"We have been trying to acquire it with the view of at some point building a health care facility in the county," said Brunini, who added that negotiations on the property took place over a period of less than six months.
District 1 Supervisor Doug Jones, whose district includes the property in question, said that he was very excited about the possibility of a new health care facility "so people don't have to drive to Jackson for medical care."
He noted that when Brunini recused himself from legal proceedings regarding the Reunion Parkway interchange, he thought that a land purchase by St. Dominic was possible.
"I'm very excited about it," said Jones.
Despite the timing of the court's ruling and the land acquisition, Brunini said that purchasing the 51-acre site was not a competitive maneuver on the part of St. Dominic, but simply the fulfillment of a pledge to provide health care to south Madison County residents.
"We're not sure what the community wants and needs at this stage," he said. "We continue to be convinced that south Madison County wants and needs a (variety) of health care services."
Brunini noted that St. Dominic already has plans to have a few family physicians practice at the Highland Medical facility on Highland Colony Parkway in Madison, not far from the future Baptist Health Systems' medical offices.
Julie Grantham, a spokesperson for HMA's Mississippi Division, declined to comment on St. Dominic's land purchase.
Meanwhile, St. Dominic's decision about appealing the ruling on the Madison County Medical Center could come by the end of this week.
Brunini said that he expects to meet with top hospital administrators in order to discuss the case.
After this meeting, he said, St. Dominic will announce its decision.
"We are looking carefully at it and we expect to make a decision very soon," said Brunini. "(We) don't have a whole lot of time to make a decision about this kind of thing."
He declined to say whether the hospital was leaning towards appealing the court's decision, or letting it stand.
Last Tuesday, April 17, the state Court of Appeals ruled that the medical center could relocate to a new facility on Interstate 55, near the Nissan auto plant.
From the date of the court's ruling, St. Dominic's has 15 days to file a motion with the court to reconsider.
If this motion is denied, St. Dominic can then move to request that the state Supreme Court hear the case.
Brunini indicated that the Supreme Court might be a better venue to hear St. Dominic's arguments about how HMA's facility would eventually create a health care monopoly in the county.
In a statement released after the decision, Joe Weaver, CEO of the Madison County Medical Center, said: "We fervently hope that St. Dominic will take the high road on this decision and discontinue the use of delaying tactics. Further opposition at this point only serves to harm the residents of Madison County, once again hindering progress and improved healthcare services for all the people."
